The Flaming Key
by superfreakerz
Summary: AU. Everyone gains a tattoo once they turn 16, linking them to their soulmates. The only hard part is finding your other half. Lucy Heartfilia has finally turned 16 and is on the hunt for her soulmate. Much to her surprise, it's somebody that she had least suspected.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hello everyone! To start off, this story is inspired by a textpost I saw on tumblr in which everyone has a tattoo and has to find their significant other! I thought it would be perfect for Natsu and Lucy! I'll admit, I am not sure how far I'm going to get with this story in particular. If people like it, I will continue! But I am not sure if it's going to be as long as my other nalu stories! So, let me know in reviews what you think about it so I don't waste my time haha! :D Hope you all enjoy! (Btw, I just finished my first nalu story Better Together so if you haven't read it you should check it out :'))

Chapter 1

The sun rose slowly, just as Lucy Heartfilia did that fateful morning. The blonde hustled out of bed and hastily threw on her school uniform, enjoying the way her golden locks of hair went with the bright red shade of her blazer. Rushing towards the kitchen, she pulled out the plate of chocolate chip pancakes out of the fridge- she made them the prior night so they were ready that morning- and heated them up without hesitation. She then covered the hot cakes in whipped cream and strawberries. To top it off, she placed one pink candle in the center.

"Happy birthday to me!" the blonde shouted in celebration.

It was Lucy's sixteenth birthday and there was nothing she loved more than her own birthday. It was her favorite holiday, though her best friend constantly argued that her birthday was in fact _not_ a holiday. No matter, it was still her favorite day of the year. Especially since her father now celebrated with her.

Lucy's father, Jude, wasn't always the best father. After Lucy's mother, Layla, passed away when she was only a child, her father went through a severe depression. Since the blonde's resemblance to her mother was uncanny, her father couldn't bear to look at her and distanced himself from her. Lucy's birthday turned from a day of happiness into one of pain. Eventually, the two made up through a series of long talks and now the girl couldn't wait to celebrate her first birthday with her dad since her mother's passing. Thus, reviving Lucy's love for her birthday.

Lucy didn't live with Jude anymore. Since they began making amends, the blonde begged to be able to go to a real school instead of being homeschooled. Though Jude was hesitant at first, he reluctantly gave in to his daughter's demands on the condition that it was a private, all-girls school. Lucy didn't mind, however. For the first time, she actually had friends.

She didn't have many friends, four to be exact. And only three of them she talked to daily. Nonetheless, Lucy cherished her friends more than anything.

Hearing her phone ring, Lucy swiftly answered it with a bright smile plastered on her face.

"Good morning, father!" the blonde greeted in her bubbly manner.

"Good morning, dear," Jude greeted in return. "I'm sure you know why I am calling."

Lucy giggled and replied, "Mhmm!"

"Well then, happy sixteenth birthday, dear. I will come by and pick you up after school, alright?"

"Yes, father!"

"Bring your friends too. I want my princess to celebrate her special day with all of her new friends."

"Even the boys?"

Lucy stifled a laugh as she heard her father sigh through the phone.

"Fine, but only for today. Have fun at school, dear."

"Thanks dad!"

With that, Lucy finished her special pancakes and quickly left her cozy apartment for school.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted the moment Lucy walked through the door and into their classroom.

"Thanks, Levy-chan!" Lucy replied, hugging her friend.

Levy was a petite girl with a small frame. Her bright blue hair clashed with their maroon blazer and the glasses she wore some days were a bright orange, her favorite color. Levy was no athlete- similar to Lucy- but was easily deemed the smartest girl in school. Though she was quirky and often enjoyed teasing her friends, Lucy knew that she was kind and that was why she was her first friend.

"Happy birthday, Lucy!" another familiar voice rang out.

The birthday girl turned around to face her other dear friend, Juvia. Juvia also had blue hair, though hers was a bit darker than Levy's and was deeper, reminding Lucy of the ocean. It was also longer and had gentle waves, while Levy's was short and layered. She had pale skin, but the blonde considered her one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen. The girl also had her own quirks. For starters, she spoke in third person. Always. Next, she had a huge obsession with one of Lucy's other friends, Gray. Luckily, they eventually started dating, or else it would've been weird.

"Thanks, Juvia!" Lucy replied, hugging her other friend.

Levy and Juvia were Lucy's only female friends, even though she attended an all-girls school. Nonetheless, she was content and was happy.

"Did you see your tattoo yet!?" Levy shouted in pure excitement.

See, on the day of a person's sixteenth birthday, a tattoo appears somewhere on their body. The legend was, humans were created with four arms and legs, along with four eyes, and two hearts. However, they were ripped in half to create another being and were supposed to find their other half. In other words, their soulmate. Apparently the only hint they get is the random tattoo that appears in a random place on their body.

Lucy didn't believe the legend where humans were ripped in half, but she did believe that the other person with the same tattoo was her soulmate. And the blonde would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to find her own soulmate. Sure enough, every person in her life had went through this phase of getting a new mark on their body. Juvia and Gray had matching snowflakes on the right side of their chests. Levy had an iron nail above her right hip, but she hadn't found her other half yet.

"No, I didn't look yet," Lucy finally answered. "I looked at the easy to see parts like my arms and legs but I haven't found anything."

"How could you not thoroughly look at your body to find it!?" Levy asked.

"Well, I guess I was scared."

"Of what?"

"What if it's an ugly tattoo?"

Levy and Juvia face-palmed.

"That's what you're worried about?" the petite girl asked incredulously.

"Is that wrong? Weren't you the one that was sad about having an iron nail on her hip?"

"T-That's different. I mean, who the hell wants a nail on their body for life!?"

"Juvia is happy with her snowflake," Juvia said with a smile.

"We know," the other two girls said in unison.

"I'm disappointed the tattoo isn't on my hand," Lucy said with a frown. "That's where I always pictured it."

"Just be glad you don't have an iron nail tattooed on your hip," Levy muttered.

The other two girls laughed at their friend's misery and class soon began. Lucy unashamedly zoned out of the lecture. It was too early to be lectured. Instead, she opted for staring outside the window. Much to her relief, lunch quickly arrived.

"You guys wanna come over after school today?" Lucy asked. "You can bring Gray, Loke is coming too."

"Duh!" Levy replied. "We gotta celebrate with you!"

"Thanks, guys! My dad will be here to pick us up after school!"

"Okay!"

* * *

Finally, the day came to an end and Lucy and her two friends stood outside of the school to be picked up by Jude. Eventually, a shiny black car appeared and the three hopped in.

"Hello, Lucy," Jude greeted as Lucy sat in the passenger seat. "And Lucy's friends! It is nice to meet you girls!"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Levy!"

"Juvia!"

"You girls may call me Jude. Now, let's go pick up these scoundrel boys, shall we?"

Lucy laughed as Juvia pouted saying, "Gray-sama is no scoundrel!"

It was a quick ten minute drive until they were outside of the public school. Lucy stared in awe. The building itself wasn't impressive. In fact, the sign looked like it would fall off with the slightest gust of wind. Yet, she had always wondered what a public school would be like.

Finally, she found Gray approaching. Loke was walking beside him, along with a beautiful girl with scarlet hair. Next to her was a boy with pink hair. _Pink._ Lucy never would've thought she would've seen a boy with pink hair before. Then again, her two best friends had blue hair, so maybe pink wasn't that strange.

"Nice to see you again, Jude," Loke greeted as he sat in the back of the car.

"Good seeing you too, Loke. I see that you're growing up into a decent boy. Say hello to your mother for me," Lucy's father replied.

"Hello," Gray simply greeted, taking his seat by his girlfriend in the middle row.

"No kissing back there, you two," Jude warned.

"Dad, don't be embarrassing!" Lucy squealed as her friends laughed.

They quickly arrived at Lucy's apartment. Luckily, the blonde had spent hours the day before scrubbing the place clean enough for her father's approval. After all, that was also part of their deal. Lucy needed to keep her place in check so as to live on her own and go to school.

The five teens played games and had fun, enjoying each other's company. Eventually, it was time for cake and ice cream. The cake was huge with three tiers. It was pink and had sprinkles scattered about. In white frosting, a typical birthday message was wrote. On the top tier, sixteen candles were neatly placed along with a tiara.

"Dad, I told you I'm not into princesses," Lucy said, though she was still happy with her cake. Though, a three tier cake was way too big for only six people.

"Sure you aren't. Is that why the stories you write are full of princesses?" Jude replied with a knowing smirk.

"W-Whatever. Let's just have some cake, I'm starving!"

After an awkward chorus of the happy birthday song, Lucy sitting awkwardly as people sang to her, they all finally dug into the cake. Gray surprised the blonde as he ate four big slices. Perhaps a three tier cake was a good thing with his appetite. Next, it was time for presents.

Gray and Juvia had gotten her the newest book to one of her favorite series and a gift card to her favorite boutique in town. Loke bought her a surprisingly cute dress. It was a white, sleeveless dress with different colored flowers printed in a water-color style. Jude raised an eyebrow as to how Loke knew Lucy's size and _why_ he was buying her daughter a dress but figured he would interrogate the boy later. Levy had given her a book full of writing prompts and a cute friendship necklace, to which she had the other half. Lastly, Jude opted for giving his daughter money. Five hundred dollars to be exact.

"Lu-chan, before we leave, I wanna see your tattoo!" Levy said, taking hold of the blonde's wrist.

"Oh, Juvia as well!" Juvia agreed, taking hold of her other wrist.

They dragged Lucy into her bathroom and waited patiently. Lucy sighed in reluctance as she began to take off her blazer. If it wasn't on her arms or legs or even her face, then it must be on her back. Sure enough, she heard her two friends gasp when she removed her clothing besides her bra.

"Lu-chan, you are so lucky!" Levy shouted.

"Juvia likes her snowflake, but this is cute too," the blue-haired girl agreed.

Lucy was dying of anticipation, so she had Levy take a picture so that she could see it. Once her best friend handed back her phone, Lucy gasped at the picture. Perfectly in the center of her back was a key made of flames. While the blonde could've lived without the flames, she did think that the key was cute.

"I-I like it!" she finally said, squealing with her friends. "That means my soulmate is somewhere out there with the same key on his back!"

"Unless he's not sixteen yet," Juvia argued.

"You could be a lesbian and just don't know it yet too," Levy added.

Lucy stuck her tongue out and replied, "I'm straight, Levy-chan. I know it's a boy. Gosh, I can't wait to meet him someday!"

After putting her clothes back on, Lucy and her friends made their way back to the living room where the others were waiting. Everyone retrieved their stuff and wished Lucy one last happy birthday before leaving.

"I wanted to talk to you," Jude announced once everyone else had left.

"About what?" Lucy questioned.

"About the tattoo that's somewhere on your body right now," her father answered. "Look, Lucy. I know how excited girls get when they finally get their tattoo, but I don't want you to lose focus of everything in search for a boy. I want you to stay in school and follow your dreams of becoming an author. I don't want you losing sight of that. Not to mention you're still my little girl."

Lucy smiled at her dad. "Thanks, dad. But don't worry. I go to an all-girls school, I doubt I'll be finding my soulmate any time soon… Can I see yours real quick?"

Jude raised a brow but nodded as he removed his coat. On his arm was a key, similar to Lucy's but instead of being enveloped in flames, it was a simple golden key.

"You used to love the story of your mother and I finding out we were soulmates," Jude said with a soft chuckle.

The blonde blinked away tears and nodded. "It's such a beautiful story."

"I'm sure yours will be as well. Just don't go rushing to grow up, alright?"

"Deal."

"What does your tattoo look like anyways?"

Lucy chuckled and answered, "Mine is actually a key too! But it's made of fire."

"Fire?" he father asked, making a face. "I hope you aren't soulmates with a pyromaniac."

The two shared a laugh and eventually it was time for her father to leave. Lucy laid in bed, recalling today's events. While she wasn't about to go screaming to the world about her new tattoo, she was glad to finally know she had a soulmate somewhere out there. She could only hope that her story with her soulmate was just as beautiful as her parents'.

 **AN:** I hope everyone enjoyed that! I've been wanting to write this story for a while but admittedly it isn't flowing as well as my other two nalu stories so I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it. :( I'll post a few chapters and if everyone likes it by then I will continue! If not, I have another nalu story that I've been wanting to write and I'll work on that one instead. :) Please review and let me know what you think! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Just a heads up, this story is going to be more fast paced than my other stories! Not _too_ fast but not too slow either!

Chapter 2

Lucy pried herself out of her bed the next morning with a frown. The day after her birthday was always a drag. After all, any day after a fun celebration was dull in comparison. The blonde sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror. She had just pulled her skirt on but had yet to put her shirt on. Turning around and turning her head as far as she could the girl managed to see her tattoo in the mirror. A small smile graced her lips as she let her imagination wonder.

Surely her soulmate had to be attractive. He probably had equally golden hair and bright blue eyes that sparkled under the moonlight. His body must've been chiseled to perfection. Lucy also concluded that his intelligence was unmatched, even by Levy. He had to love reading and writing and everything that she did. After all, they were soulmates. They had to be the same person, just with the opposite gender, right?

Walking into her classroom, Lucy took her spot to the right of Levy and behind Juvia. It was easy for them to talk to each other in this formation; perhaps that was why they became friends in the first place.

"Good morning, Lucy," Juvia greeted. "What are Lucy and Levy doing after school today?"

"I'm not doing anything, why?" the blonde asked.

"Me neither," Levy added.

"Gray-sama invited Juvia to meet his friends for the first time! Juvia is nervous and doesn't want to go alone!" the blue-haired girl replied.

"Oh, then yeah, we'll come with you!" Levy answered for the both of them.

"Thanks! We'll be going to a bar to meet, is that alright?"

"A bar?" Lucy asked incredulously. "We're underage, are we even allowed in bars?"

"As long as we don't drink we're fine," Levy answered. "Sounds fun! Maybe our soulmates are there, Lu-chan!"

"I doubt we'll find our soulmates there, that's way too easy."

"Pessimist."

"Dreamer."

Finally, class began with yet another lecture. Instead of staring out the window, Lucy opted for doodling in her notebook so it at least looked like she was paying attention and taking notes. All she could do was sketch her tattoo over and over again. Part of her felt like Juvia with how obsessed she was becoming with her soulmate. It was all she had been thinking for the past month as she wondered what her tattoo would look like and now here she was doodling her tattoo for the tenth time.

"You drawing your tattoo?" Levy questioned as she pulled her desk next to the blonde's. Apparently lunch had started without her knowing.

"I-Is it sad of me or what?" Lucy replied, her head hanging in shame. "I know I'm supposed to be an independent woman but I really want to meet him. What if he's on the complete opposite side of the world? Then what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't think that would happen… I mean, it's a soulmate, someone you are destined to love. How could you love someone and never meet them? I don't think the universe would be that cruel."

"I guess you're right. You've had your tattoo for a few months and you haven't found your soulmate. I should just be patient."

"Juvia thinks so too," their friend agreed.

"I for one think we're going to meet our soulmates very soon, Lu-chan!" Levy said.

"What makes you think that?" Lucy inquired with a giggle.

"Call it my woman's intuition! I'm usually never wrong!"

The blonde nodded and sighed. "Well, while I know your woman's intuition is usually never wrong, I doubt we'll be finding our other halves any time soon. We go to an all-girls school after all. Hell, the only two boys my age that I met were Loke and Gray, and they sure as hell aren't my soulmates."

"So? Juvia met hers even though she goes to Fiore Academy!" Levy argued. "We just need to start going out more to find them! I'm sick of waiting around for my future husband to enter my life! We just need to take charge and barge into theirs!"

"You know what? I think you're right! Screw waiting around!" Lucy agreed, raising a determined fist into the air.

"Our first search will take place at the bar! There's gotta be plenty of guys there! Operation: Find Our Soulmates has now commenced!"

The three girls laughed at their ridiculous conversation. None of them believed the two were going to find their soulmates any time soon. However, fate always seems to love surprises.

* * *

The three girls waited patiently at the entrance of their school for Gray and Loke to walk them to the bar. Lucy remembered her shock from the day she found out that her childhood friend, Loke, was actually close friends with her friend's boyfriend, Gray. Fate was mysterious.

Lucy recalled wondering if Loke was going to be her soulmate. After all, he was her first friend back at the mansion. His mother was a maid and the two often played together. They even played house and pretended to get married a couple of times. They stayed in touch throughout the years, even when Loke's mom got a job and moved them away from the mansion. Even as the years went by her childhood friend flirted with her. However, the ring tattoo over his finger was certainly not a flaming key. Thus, he was not her soul mate.

When the two boys arrived, the group of five chatted and made their way towards the bar, Fairy Tail. Lucy and Levy gaped at how run down it looked and wondered if they should drag Juvia away or not. However, with a loud gulp, they mustered up their courage and entered the pub.

It was surprisingly full of people scattered about. Some drank while others lounged with their friends. The bartender left her spot behind the counter and came to greet the group.

"Hello, Gray and Loke," the woman said with a bright smile. Lucy gaped at her. She was incredibly beautiful, beautiful enough to be in magazines or on runway shows. She had magnificent silver hair that flowed gracefully to her hips. It was wavy like Juvia's, making Lucy insecure of her bland, straight blonde hair.

The bartender then turned her attention on the girls. Looking at Juvia, she smiled again. "This must be your girlfriend, Gray. She's as beautiful as you described her to be."

A blush spread across the dark-haired boy's cheeks as he muttered, "Shut up."

The woman then looked at Lucy and Levy. "Hello, it's nice to meet you girls. I'm Mirajane, but you can all call me Mira."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Levy."

"And I'm Lucy."

"Come on in then!" Mira said, leading them inside the pub.

Gray and Loke then led the way to a table full of people that looked their age. Lucy immediately recognized the girl with the scarlet hair and the boy with pink hair. There was also a girl with pixie cut silver hair, which the blonde quickly deduced was Mira's younger sister. There was also a scary looking boy, taller than the rest of the group with unruly black hair and crimson eyes. Lucy wondered if he was in a gang and decided not to get too acquainted with him, but her mouth hung on its hinges as she found Levy staring at him while blushing. There was a brunette drinking booze straight out of a barrel and Lucy knew that she was under age and wondered why nobody was calling the cops. Lastly, there was a boy with blue hair similar to Levy's with a tattoo on his face.

"Is that your soulmate tattoo?" Lucy asked without thinking. Slamming her hand over her mouth, she regretted being nosy.

The boy shook his head. "No, this is just a tattoo."

"You must excuse her," Levy began, "her sixteenth birthday was yesterday so she just got her tattoo and it's all she can think about."

"L-Levy-chan!" Lucy squealed, embarrassed that her friend would tell something so revealing.

The petite girl snickered and ran away from the blonde that proceeded to chase her around. The two girls gulped as they felt their collars being grabbed as they were sat down at the table. Looking to see the culprit, Lucy found the red-haired girl standing above them with a strict aura lingering around her. Clearly, she was not fond of people fooling around.

"S-Sorry," Lucy and Levy said in unison. Everyone at the table laughed- besides Juvia, who wondered if she should take her two friends and run away from the scary girl.

"It's fine," the scarlet-haired girl replied, her lips now forming a small smile. "Now, what are your names?"

"I'm Levy."

"Lucy."

"It's nice to meet you both, along with you, Juvia. My name is Erza Scarlet."

Lucy gaped at the girl that was now taking her seat on the opposite side of the table. The blonde found it odd that the color of her hair was also her last name but shrugged it off and decided to pay attention to the introductions taking place. She was seated in between her two school friends, nervous about meeting so many new people in one day.

"Name's Cana," the brunette greeted, chugging the foul alcohol in the barrel seated in her lap.

"I'm Lisanna! Nice to meet you!" the silver-haired girl said.

The three girls then glanced at the boy with long black hair. Instead of greeting them, he stared back with an uninterested gaze.

"That's Gajeel," Gray said, clearly noticing how nervous his friend was making the girls. "The guy with the face tattoo is Jellal. You just met Erza and already know Loke, so I guess all that's left is this idiot here." He then motioned towards the pink-haired boy, who scowled in reply.

"Shut up, Ice Princess," he replied. Feeling Erza's threatening gaze, he turned his attention back to the three girls waiting for an introduction. Giving a fanged grin, he greeted, "Yo! I'm Natsu Dragneel!"

Lucy stared at the boy with wonder. His pink hair was spiky and untamed though part of his bangs were slicked up. It was painfully clear that he didn't care about his appearance as he wore a strange coat that only had one sleeve that revealed his well-sculpted abs. Lastly, a checkered scarf was wrapped around his neck despite the fact that it was nowhere near cold outside. Just then, Natsu turned his attention to the blonde, who was still staring at him. Onyx eyes bore into brown as the two stared at each other with wonder. The girl could swear she felt something bubbling in her stomach but shrugged it off. Instead, she became flustered from being caught staring at some stranger.

"H-Hi," Lucy greeted, attempting to cover up her previous staring.

"Yo!" Natsu repeated.

"Try not to talk to him too much, Lucy," Gray chimed in, a smirk dancing on his lips. "You'll catch his stupidity."

And just like that, a brawl erupted throughout the pub. It first started with Gray and Natsu, slugging each other mercilessly. Once a chair had hit an unsuspecting Gajeel, he too joined the fight. Soon enough, every male in the building- besides a calm Jellal- was throwing punches and kicks. That is until Erza quickly put an end to it all. Lucy shivered at the sight of the scarlet-haired demon.

All of the boys came scrambling back to the table. Somehow, Gray and Gajeel had lost their shirts during their fight and were too scared of Erza to go looking for them. Lucy heard a loud gasp to her left and looked to see Levy. She was wide eyed and had her hands clamped over her mouth.

"Levy-chan, what's wrong?" Lucy asked.

The blue-haired girl quickly became a sputtering mess, her face a bright shade of red. "N-N-Nail! Nail, Lu-chan!"

"Nail?" the blonde repeated. Deeming Levy no help to ending her confusion, Lucy followed her gaze until her eyes landed on a shirtless Gajeel. While Lucy should've been blushing madly at the sight of a shirtless boy, all she could do instead was gape at the sight of a metal nail tattoo above his right hip.

"Oh my god, Levy-chan! Th-The tattoo!" Lucy shouted, confusing everyone at the table. "N-Nail! It's a nail! LEVY-CHAN IT'S A NAIL!"

"S-Shut up, Lu-chan!"

Finally, Juvia realized what was going on and joined the sputtering. "Oh, Levy! Juvia sees the tattoo!"

Erza, quickly becoming frustrated with not knowing what they were talking about, finally spoke up. "What are you three blabbering about? Spit it out."

Levy quickly clamped her hands over her two friends' mouths to keep them from saying anything. Then, she shrank in seat as the red-haired girl loomed over her. There was a threatening look in her eyes, making the petite teen shiver in fear.

"H-He has the tattoo," Levy finally answered, locking her eyes on her newfound soulmate.

Everyone followed her gaze and stared at Gajeel.

"You mean the nail tattoo?" Gray asked. Levy nodded, her cheeks flushed.

That was when everyone quickly understood what was happening- except for a certain pink-haired teen. There was an eruption of gasps and questions, all wondering if it was true. There was no way that the grumpy and cranky Gajeel could have a cute, fun-loving girl as his soulmate! Sure enough, it was true as Levy lowered her skirt just a bit to show off her own tattoo above her right hip.

"Wait, does this mean that she's Gajeel's soulmate?" Natsu asked Lucy, seeing as how she was the only one that wasn't circling the new soulmates.

"Yep," the blonde answered. While she was happy for her best friend finally finding her soulmate, she was glum that she hadn't found her own. After all, she was now the last of her friends to meet her soulmate. Granted, her birthday was only yesterday. Still, the blonde felt left out and scared that she was never going to meet the man of her dreams.

"What's wrong?" a voice rang out, interrupting Lucy's thoughts. She turned her attention back to Natsu, who was staring at her with a hint of concern gleaming in his eyes.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just a bit jealous that Levy-chan found her soulmate and I'm the only one that hasn't," Lucy answered, surprised at how comfortable she felt talking to the boy she just met.

"You actually believe all that stuff?"

"You don't?"

"Nah. I don't think a tattoo determines who I'm supposed to love and all that. Besides, as long as you have friends you don't need love."

Lucy gawked at the boy. "Are you sixteen?" Natsu nodded his head, prompting the blonde to continue. "So you have your tattoo then. Are you telling me you've _never_ been curious as to who has the same tattoo?"

Natsu shrugged and answered, "Never really cared about all that stuff. You shouldn't either, Luigi."

"It's _Lucy."_

"Whatever! Anyways, don't feel so bummed out over a stupid tattoo!"

Lucy was about to argue more with the pink-haired boy when her two friends interrupted.

"C-Can we go now?" Levy asked, her cheeks still tainted red. It was clear that she was growing tired of the questions people were asking her.

"Sure!" Lucy said. After saying their goodbyes to their new friends, the three girls left the pub.

"Next up is you, Lucy!" Juvia squealed with excitement once they neared the blonde's apartment.

"As if. There's no hope for me," Lucy replied with a heavy sigh.

"Oh hush, Lu-chan! Who knows, your soulmate might've been at that bar too!" Levy said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"There's no way all three of our soulmates were conveniently in the same building and in the same group of friends!" Lucy argued.

But again, fate always seemed to love surprises.

 **AN:** So Levy found her soulmate and Lucy and Natsu finally met! :D How exciting!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! :D I actually really wanted the tattoo to be on her hand where her guild mark is but then it would've been too easy figuring out that Natsu was her soulmate haha. And yay Natsu is in it now! :D

 **Jokergirl101t:** Thank you! :) It's just that the later chapters are getting harder to write, but I think I can do it if the story gets enough support :)

 **Sidjr100:** Hello again! :D Thank you for checking out my other story! Glad to have your support on both! :)

 **Guest:** Thank you for the review! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much :) Better Together and New Beginnings are easier to write than this story but I think I will be continuing it! :) And now they met so yay! :D

 **Weird Unicorn:** Thank you. :)

 **FireShifter:** Why thank you! :D Hopefully it plays out to your liking! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Thank you I will keep going for now! :)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you it was inspired by a textpost I saw on tumblr lol.

 **PineappleText:** Thank you so much! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Heads up, Lucy may be a bit OOC in this story in the sense that she is very impatient on finding her soulmate haha. I know in the anime/manga she is patient and doesn't really look for a relationship at all but in this story she is a bit impatient haha!

Chapter 3

Lucy woke up the next morning feeling drained. After leaving the bar, the blonde wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and sleep. Levy was having none of it however. Lucy was bombarded with texts from her petite friend, all focused around one thing: her newfound soulmate. While she knew she was being bitter, the girl couldn't help but feel envious towards her friend. Nonetheless, she stayed up talking to her best friend, giving her advice on what to do. It seemed simple enough though she had no experience in the matter. How hard could it be though? They should just talk and get to know each other and then start a relationship! It's that simple, right?

Apparently it wasn't. Thus, the blonde entered her class with a sigh as Levy hurried her to their desks.

"Lu-chan, you and Juvia have to come with me to Fairy Tail after school!" the petite girl exclaimed.

"Fairy Tail?" Lucy questioned.

"The bar from yesterday! I have to see Gajeel again! We're freaking soulmates!"

"Juvia would love to go. It would give Juvia a chance to see her lovely Gray-sama!" their other friend chimed in.

"C'mon, Lu-chan! Come with us!"

"Fine," Lucy said, already growing exhausted from the conversation. While she was excited about her new tattoo a mere two days ago, all the girl could feel towards it now was resent. Part of her wanted to burn it away or cover it with another tattoo so she could forget all about it.

* * *

After school, the three girls waited once again for their friends to walk them back to Fairy Tail. Lucy stayed by Loke, feeling comforted by the fact that he hadn't found his soulmate either and apparently wasn't rushing to find one. After all, he was a well-known player throughout Magnolia. He probably didn't want to be tied down.

"What has you so upset, Princess?" the orange-haired boy asked.

"It's nothing, Loke," Lucy fibbed.

"You can't lie to me, Lucy. I can read you like an open book."

"Since when do you read?"

Loke scowled at the blonde but couldn't fight against the smile dancing on his lips. The group quickly arrived and made their way to the corner table. Everyone from yesterday was already sitting there, either eating or just idly chatting.

"Hello everyone," Lucy greeted shyly. She sat next to Levy, who sat next to Gajeel. Loke followed and sat on the other side of the blonde.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted in return. "Still upset about not finding your soulmate?"

"S-Shut up."

"So that's what you're upset about?" Loke asked. At this point everyone at the table was listening to the conversation.

"I-I can't help it! I've always been curious as to who my soulmate is and I want to meet him now! I've been single my whole life. Hell, I've never even gone on a simple date because I was waiting to find my soulmate! But where is he? Oh that's right. NOT HERE."

Everyone at the table was silent after the girl's outburst. After all, half of them had only met her yesterday and were unsure as to what to say. Others were afraid that if they said something she would attack. There were a few awkward coughs until finally somebody spoke up.

"I'll take you on a date," Loke said with complete seriousness.

"W-What?" Lucy asked in complete shock.

The boy shrugged and replied, "I'll take you on a date. I mean, why not? You're attractive, I'm attractive. We've been friends since we were kids. Why not give it a shot?"

"B-Because we're friends! That would be weird, wouldn't it?"

"I say go for it, Lu-chan," Levy chimed in. "It's not like you guys are getting married or anything. It's just a date."

"B-But our tattoos! They're different! He has a ring tattoo and I have a flaming key! That means we aren't soulmates!"

Loke slung an arm over her shoulder. "Well, Princess, your soulmate isn't here and you are obviously dying to gain _some_ experience in the dating world. And I happen to be the king of dates. Let me entertain you for one night."

"F-Fine."

The group continued to talk once again now that Lucy's troubles were out of the way. The blonde could feel someone staring at her and found Natsu gaping at her wide eyed. She could even see something akin to a blush spread across his cheeks. Their gazes were locked to each other until he finally looked away. Lucy shrugged it off and began to think of her date coming up.

While Loke certainly was attractive and one of her closest friends, Lucy never held those types of feelings for him. Yet, the idea of finally going on a date with a boy excited her and knowing Loke, he was probably just doing it to make her feel better. Now when her soulmate decides to come into her life, she'll have more experience and she'll be ready.

It was nearing eight o'clock as Lucy found herself trying on multiple dresses. She only stayed at Fairy Tail for a quick hour to help calm Levy's nerves. After that, she decided to go home and prepare for her date with Loke. None of her dresses seemed good enough for her first date, but the blonde wasn't about to go shop for a new dress. Thus, she settled for a knee length flowy dress. It was mint green and fit her body well. She only had about ten minutes left until her date was supposed to arrive. They were going to go out to eat at a new restaurant that opened in Magnolia. Something simple much to Lucy's relief.

Finally, Lucy heard a knock at the door and hurried to open it. Loke smiled at her and held his arm out to her. Smiling gratefully, she accepted his arm and the two walked toward the restaurant that she hoped wasn't too far. She was wearing heels after all.

To her relief, the walk was short and they quickly arrived at the quaint restaurant. Loke told the seater about their reservation and was brought to a booth near the back. The lights were dimmed and there was soft music playing, probably to help the mood. The two childhood friends talked easily. It didn't feel like a date at all more like two friends getting dinner together. Yet Lucy didn't mind.

"Really, Loke? You had to come here and make me work?" a voice rang from beside them.

Lucy turned to find Natsu dressed in a nice suit along with his scarf. There was a scowl plastered to his face as he glared at the orange-headed boy.

"Wait, do you work here?" Lucy questioned.

"Sadly," Natsu answered, handing the two their menus. "You just _had_ to complain about being single, didn't ya, Luce?"

The blonde stuck her tongue out and replied, "You better be nice to me or else you aren't getting a good tip!"

Natsu laughed and walked away, probably into the kitchen.

"So, Lucy," Loke began, looking over his menu, "what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know, it all looks pretty good. I think I want the shrimp and fettucine alfredo!"

"You always did crave pasta. I think I'm going to get a steak."

Lucy raised a brow. "Isn't that a little expensive?"

Loke smiled and answered, "Yeah, but don't worry about it. You were clearly having a rough day and I wanted to help you out."

"You're a great friend, Loke. Even though you're a player."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"What do you guys wanna eat?" Natsu asked as he suddenly appeared by the two. They gave him their orders. "You want pasta? That's lame, Luce. You should try our spicy chicken wings! They're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah. I don't like spicy food, _waiter,"_ Lucy teased, shooing him away.

Natsu stared quizzically at her and mumbled, "How do you have that tattoo?"

Lucy was about to question him but the pink-haired boy already turned around and left. Shrugging it off, the blonde returned to her date with her childhood friend. Once Natsu delivered their meals, the two went to work at eating it. Loke finished his steak quickly, Lucy still nibbling on her pasta. That was when she caught her date staring at a cute, pink-haired girl across the room.

"Go," Lucy said with a smile.

Loke looked back at her, shocked that he was caught looking at another girl. "No, this is our date. I want to cheer you up."

Lucy giggled and said, "Don't worry about me anymore. You already did cheer me up. I have delicious food to eat so go now before I catch you drooling."

The orange-haired teen smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair before finally leaving to go talk to the girl that caught his attention. Lucy watched with curiosity. At first the girl was nervous, but eventually she and Loke were talking with ease. The blonde released a heavy sigh and turned her attention back to her food.

"Where's your date?" a familiar voice asked.

"Shouldn't you be working, Natsu?" Lucy asked in return. The pink-haired boy shrugged, prompting the blonde to continue. "He's over there flirting with some girl."

Natsu followed Lucy's pointed finger and found Loke sitting in a booth with a pink-haired girl. He immediately recognized her as Aries from his school.

"That's Loke for you," he finally said. He then slid into the seat across from her.

"Aren't you gonna get in trouble?"

Natsu shrugged once again. "It's my break time. Let me have some of that!" The boy grabbed Lucy's fork and twirled some of the noodles around it. Ignoring the blonde's protests, he shoved the creamy pasta into his mouth.

"Hey, that's mine!" Lucy shouted, reaching over the table to snatch her fork away. "Weren't you the one that said getting pasta was lame?"

Natsu laughed seeing the blonde's pout and replied, "Only because there's better food you could've ordered."

"Whatever. You just love annoying me."

"I guess I do."

The two laughed. Since Lucy was in a giving mood, she pushed her plate to the middle of the table. Grabbing a fork from another table, she handed it to her new friend.

"I'm only sharing with you because it's your break time," she said.

"Thanks, Luce!" the boy replied, ruffling her hair.

The two chowed down while engaging in conversations. Lucy had to scold him more than once because he was talking with his mouth full. The blonde swore she had never seen such terrible table etiquette until that day.

"So why haven't I seen you at school?" Natsu asked, eating the last bite of Lucy's pasta.

"I go to Fiore Academy. It's an all-girls school," she answered.

"Sounds fancy."

"It's actually kind of boring sometimes. It feels like a routine now. Levy-chan and Juvia are the only good things about that school."

"Really? It'd be cool if you went to my school and had classes with me."

A faint blush crept to Lucy's cheeks though she didn't know why. "Y-Yeah."

"I'm sure you get good grades. I could copy your homework."

Lucy reached over the table and playfully hit the chuckling boy. They continued to talk for what seemed like ages. Finally, Loke walked up to them and announced it was time to leave.

"Aww, but Lucy and I were having fun!" Natsu said with a pout.

"How about I come over to Fairy Tail tomorrow?" Lucy proposed with a smile. The pink-haired boy immediately perked up.

"Deal. See you tomorrow, Luce!"

With that, Lucy and Loke left the restaurant and were out on the streets of Magnolia.

"So how was that for your first date?" the boy questioned.

"It was pretty fun!" Lucy answered truthfully.

" _Wasn't bad for a first date at all."_

 **AN:** What a cute date between Lucy and "Loke" though it was really a date with Natsu. ;) I started writing a Nashi story, and so far I'm really loving it! Part of me would rather write that story instead of this one but if everyone would rather continue reading this story instead I'll focus on this one and wait to post my Nashi story! Let me know what you guys would prefer!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Yes they did! :D

 **Snavej:** Thank youuuuuu. :)

 **Rose Tiger:** Yes she is! :D Eventually.

 **Humbleblossom:** Thank you so much! :)

 **SoulHorse:** Thank you! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Well now you know who finds out first! :D

 **Kaito1412:** Thank you so much :)

 **Musicalocelot:** Oh really? You don't typically like high school AUs? :O That's the complete opposite of me! I prefer the high school AUs! :) Which makes your review a great compliment because you actually like my story! :D So thank you so much!

 **HeyItsLey:** Thank you so much! :D And I give cliffhangers because they are exciting and I love the reactions I get! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh shoot I didn't really include his reaction! I should definitely add a short little filler on that! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** You aren't the only one that asked about Gajeel's reaction so I will definitely add a short filler chapter about the two! :D Thank you for the review!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** I decided that I will continue this story! But if there are any times that I am slow with updates, I'm sorry in advance! D: I am glad you are all enjoying it though! :D

Chapter 4

It was a cool night, stars shining in the dark sky providing light. Usually, walking home from work was a tedious task, but Natsu didn't seem to mind that night. Instead, he strode through the streets of Magnolia with a pleased grin on his face. Finally arriving at his shabby apartment, the boy unlocked the door and plopped onto the couch with a content sigh.

"Welcome home, Ash Breath," an all too familiar voice rang out.

Natsu groaned to face his roommate with a scowl. "Why are you still awake, Popsicle Princess?"

Gray smirked knowingly and answered, "I wanted to have a friendly conversation." The pink-headed teen scowled, prompting Gray to continue. "So you met Lucy, huh?"

"What about it?"

"I know you heard about her tattoo."

There was a brief moment of silence until Natsu spoke once again. "So what?"

"I just so happen to know that you have a flaming key tattoo as well," Gray said, stifling a laugh.

Natsu sat up and faced his roommate and also rival with a glare. Since they lived together and were comfortable roaming their small apartment shirtless, it was inevitable that Gray would see his tattoo eventually. It didn't help that the pinkette never bothered hiding it as well. He truly didn't care if anyone saw it because he never payed attention to the soulmate theory he deemed as bullshit. But now that he had met his "other half," the boy felt as though he had to keep it a secret, locked up forever in his mind.

"What's your point?" Natsu finally asked.

"That means she's your soulmate," Gray answered, his smirk turned into one of a bright smile. Despite his cool and sometimes distant persona, Natsu was in fact his best friend, and Lucy was a good friend of his as well. It was about time the two found love. But alas…

"You actually believe in all that crap?"

Gray scoffed incredulously as he countered, "You don't? C'mon, man. I know it sounds dumb but just look around! Juvia and I have matching tattoos and she's now my girlfriend that I've been with for almost half a year. No other girl ever made it that long with me before. Not to mention Erza and Jellal, I don't even need to explain those two. It's obvious they're meant to be. Hell, even Gajeel and Levy have been getting closer and it's clear as day they're going to get together soon!"

"Well, that's not going to happen with me and Lucy," Natsu replied. He wanted nothing more than to leave and take shelter in his room but knew he had to ensure Gray wouldn't tell anyone his newest secret involving a certain blonde.

"And why the hell not? Are you going to tell Lucy about the tattoo at least?"

"Nope. I don't want all that mushy stuff. That's not who I am. I don't want some girl changing me and stuff. Besides, it's just a tattoo! It doesn't mean anything!"

Gray face palmed in annoyance. "You're hopeless. But it's selfish of you to do to Lucy. You know that she's been waiting to meet her soulmate. If you aren't going to try anything with her, you should at least tell her about your tattoo so she can stop waiting for someone that isn't going to come."

Gray had finally went to his own room, leaving the pinkette to think about their conversation. Natsu knew he was right. He had only known Lucy for a couple days and already knew that she had been waiting for her soulmate to arrive for years. He really should tell her so that she could face reality. Yet something kept him from wanting to do that. What if Lucy wanted to keep trying? What if she didn't take no for an answer? Not to mention the fact that he didn't want to be the one to let her down.

" _Damn it."_

* * *

"Lu-chan, do you have any plans after school?"

It was lunch time and the trio of female friends were sitting in their usual formation while munching on their packed foods.

"I'm actually going to Fairy Tail," Lucy answered. "Did you guys wanna come too?"

The two bluenettes stared at the blonde as if she had grown another head.

"Lucy is going to Fairy Tail?" Juvia asked, a confused expression plastered to her face. Lucy nodded in response.

"Why?" Levy questioned. She too looked perplexed at the situation.

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned in return. "Why is it so weird for me to go there?"

"Because you've only been going there because Juvia and I drag you! You've been so hungover finding your soulmate that I figured you wouldn't want to go there when there are so many couples."

"Are you and Gajeel a couple now?"

"N-No! We've just been talking… He's actually very distant and… _cranky._ I don't know how someone like him can be my soulmate! All he does is tease me about my height! He calls me _Shrimp."_ The two other girls laughed at their friend's misery, finding the situation amusing. "It's not funny! Anyways, Lu-chan, why do you want to go there?"

The blonde shrugged her shoulders as she took a bite out of her rice ball. "I promised Natsu I would come today."

"Natsu-san?" Juvia inquired. "Why?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you guys huh? Well, during my date with Loke, we went to a restaurant that apparently Natsu works in. Loke left me alone for a little bit to go flirt with some girl-"

"WHAT A JERK!" the other two girl's shouted in unison, ignoring the confused stares of their other classmates.

"No, no! I told him to! Anyways, Natsu saw me alone and sat down to talk to me and keep me company." Lucy shrugged her shoulders and continued. "We ended up talking a lot and so I agreed I would see him tomorrow at Fairy Tail."

"Oh," Levy finally replied, all the while wiggling her eyebrows. Nobody ever knew how she could wiggle her eyebrows that well, and despite their efforts were never able to master it to such an extent the bluenette did.

"It's not like that," Lucy said with a sigh. "Just friends, nothing more. Natsu is nowhere near my type."

"Gajeel wasn't something I had in mind, but the tattoos never lie, Lu-chan. Who knows, maybe we should tackle Natsu and take off his shirt so we can see if he has a flaming key tattoo."

The three girls laughed and began to chat idly until their teacher entered the classroom once again.

When school came to an end, the three girls didn't wait for their usual escorts and were making their way to the familiar run-down bar themselves. Lucy was amused when her usually snickering friend became a blushing mess the moment they were outside of the pub. Though, the blonde had a feeling that's what she would be like if she met her soulmate. Opening the grand doors, the trio was met with the strong scent of alcohol- which much to their chagrin, they were starting to get used to.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted from the other side of the bar at their usual table.

Levy snickered and wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde while playfully nudging her. Lucy sighed and shook her head, leading the way towards the table where her newer friends were waiting. The blonde went and sat in between Natsu and Loke while Levy shakily sat in between Gajeel and Erza. Juvia was already far acquainted with her soulmate, thus she confidently sat by Gray and pecked his cheek with a loving kiss as a greeting.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy greeted with a bright smile. "Are you glad it's finally the weekend?"

The pinkette nodded and answered, "Yep! There's actually going to be a party tonight, you and your friends should stay for it!"

"Party? Is it someone's birthday?"

"Nah, we just like to throw parties every once in a while."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Will this party involve alcohol?"

Natsu smirked and slung an arm around his new favorite blonde. "Yep! You know Cana would die if there was no booze there!"

A light pink dusted the girl's face. "I-I've never tried alcohol before…"

"WHAT!?" a shrill voice suddenly boomed from the other side of the table where Cana was sitting. Her eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets and her hands were slammed on the table intensely. "I-I'm so sorry, Lucy! If I had known you never tried I would've shared some of mine the moment I met you!"

"N-No it's alright, Cana. You're kinda missing the point actually…"

"Nonsense!" Cana cried out, her words slurred. "You and little Levy are getting wasted tonight with the help of yours truly! Don't worry, I'll start you guys off with the fruity drinks."

"W-Why me!?" Levy asked, already wondering if she should run away while she still could.

"Because I could tell you haven't had a sip either," the brunette answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "You guys need to start living and experiment a little! If you don't like it, I'll never bother you guys with it again! You guys will _love_ this stuff though. But I can already tell the two of you are weak drinkers. Probably throw up after the second shot."

Lucy smirked at the girl, ready to make a game out of her soon-to-be misery. "Wanna put your money where your mouth is?"

Cana turned her attention back to the blonde, who was now showing a feisty side of her. A side that everyone seemed to be enjoying. Especially Natsu.

"What do you mean, blondie?" Cana asked, returning the smirk with one of her own.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, her smirk never disappearing. "Who knows? Levy-chan and I may be natural drinkers or something. And can alcohol really be that bad? I mean it's just drinking… We might be better than you! So let's make a bet!"

The brunette's smile grew into a face splitting grin. Oh, she was definitely going to have fun now. Lucy just stepped into a trap she was sure going to regret.

"I am really starting to like you, Lucy!" Cana said. "You're right! You might be a better drinker than I am! And I know just how to figure out who's the winner! Let's have an old fashioned drinking contest! First to pass out, give up, or puke loses!"

"If I win, you have to go sober for a whole week!" Lucy declared.

The whole table gasped and looked for Cana's reaction. Just the thought of the brunette going sober for one _day_ was crazy enough. A whole week was simply unimaginable. After all, she had been drinking since she was a child. She was known for being an alcoholic. There was no way she would make it a whole week. Surely she was going to turn down the bet.

"Sounds interesting!" Cana replied, much to the group's surprise. "And if I win, you have to sing a song that I choose in front of everyone! _While_ drunk! That is, if you're still awake."

"Deal!"

The two girls shook hands excitingly. Lucy felt free knowing that she was going to drink for the first time in her life. After all, everyone else in her school- excluding Levy- had been to many parties and drinking was a normal thing. Even Juvia had her take of the devil's liquid. The blonde felt like she wasn't under pressure to become a business heiress, but instead was just living life the way teens were supposed to. Of course she wasn't planning on becoming an alcoholic like Cana, but surely one night of fun couldn't do any harm. Or so she thought.

 **AN:** Short chapter for today, sorry! :D Now, Black Hearts24 asked me to post a summary for the Nashi story I was talking about, so here it is: "After a drunken night due to a Fairy Tail party, Lucy finds herself pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. Memories flash through her and she remembers that Natsu is the father, but it's too late. He had left on a training mission for two years. Lucy leaves the guild and comes back just as she promised, but comes back with a five year old with pink hair named Nashi. Nashi is determined to find out who her father is without the help of her mother and can't help but grow attached to a certain-pink haired man." Not the best summary, but it works haha! I've decided to continue this story, but I think that once I've written more of my Nashi story I will post it so look forward to it! :D

 **Snavej:** Loke is a playboy! :D But he's a nice playboy, so I'll let it slide! Thanks for the review! :D

 **Black Hearts24:** Thank you for the review and for showing interest in my Nashi story! I will post that story as well someday, probably after I finish my other nalu story! :)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you! :D And you'll find out what Natsu does soon! :)

 **Humbleblossom:** Hope you didn't have to wait too long! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you! :) I thought the date was cute :)

 **Nightlingbolt:** Lol I never thought about that! Yes there is social media! But thinking about it, there would probably be multiple sites and would have to search through countless of pictures and you would have to get lucky to use the same exact website so I think that would be hard! And thinking of their characters, I think Lucy would be too shy to post a picture of her back for the world to see and Natsu clearly doesn't care about his tattoo at all anyways so he wouldn't bother with that haha! Thank you for the review! :D (I can't believe I never thought about that lol.)

 **BloodRedRubies:** Haha I would feel the same way as Lucy in this situation haha! And yes Natsu knows haha! :D And don't worry, you don't have to wait too long to see Lucy's reaction! ;)

 **MirrorFlame:** Thank you so much hahaha! I wanted them to instantly click and I think having Natsu eat her food and criticize her meal choice did just that haha! :D

 **Amourshippingfan24:** Thank you for letting me know what you thought about it! :) I will definitely continue! :D

 **Guest:** I will write more! :D Everyone seems to like it so I'll just write at my own pace for everyone! :)

 **EchizenRyoma:** Thank you! :D And I'm sorry, but your username sounds so familiar but I just can't figure it out haha! What is it referencing exactly? :)

 **Shunakoo25:** Thank you very much! :) And yes! In most stories- including my own- Natsu is the last to figure out anything so I wanted to change it up and have him to be the one aware of their matching tattoos before Lucy haha!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D

Chapter 5

After the bet between Lucy and Cana was made, the group separated to get prepared for the party. The trio of girls that arrived together at the pub also decided to leave together. They went back to Lucy's apartment to get ready together after dropping by the other two girls' houses so that they could pick up some clothes. The three were currently raiding the blonde's closet to find her a perfect outfit for the night. Of course it couldn't be too fancy as the two bluenettes were expecting her to puke her brains out tonight. But they still wanted to dress their single friend nicely so she may mingle with equally single and cute boys that were potentially her soulmate.

The two blue-headed girls finally found the perfect dress for the night. It was a black, strapless dress with sequins covering the entire fabric and sparkled magnificently under the light. Seeing as how it was never worn, there was still a price tag attached, showing that the dress was a mere fifteen dollars, not too expensive for the night they were expecting.

"Wow, Lu-chan! This is a pretty sexy dress! Didn't think you owned anything _this_ promiscuous!" Levy said, wiggling her eyebrows skillfully at the blonde.

Lucy rolled her eyes and replied, "It's not even that bad. And you know I like wearing those kinds of clothes! I have the figure, might as well flaunt it."

Levy looked down at her own figure and then glared at her best friend. "Lucky you."

The three girls laughed while they got dressed. Levy wore a flowing orange dress that stopped just below the knees and a matching orange headband that contrasted with her bright blue mane. Juvia was dressed in a fitting blue dress with tight sleeves that reached her wrist. It went down to her angles but the sides were slit up to her mid-thigh, giving her a great sex appeal. Lucy's own dress shimmered and went mid-thigh. She also paired it with a pair of black high heels. None of the girls wore makeup. They usually never did and didn't deem this occasion fancy enough for it. Thus, after getting dressed and taking some pictures, the trio were off towards Fairy Tail, unknowing of what awaited them.

Lucy threw open the grand doors to the pub and smiled as the colorful bright lights lit up the dark building. There were many people dancing and singing, having a good time with their friends. Others lounged lazily but it was clear that they were enjoying themselves as well. A smile spread across the blonde's lips.

" _This is going to be a fun first party!"_

"Yo, Lucy!" a familiar voice shouted over the loud music. "Over here!"

"Oh, there's Natsu-san and the others!" Juvia said, pointing in the direction of their friends. The trio held hands and waded through the sea of people until they finally reached the group. Juvia instantly lit up at the sight of her boyfriend. "Gray-sama!"

And just like that the other two girls knew they wouldn't be seeing much of their third musketeer the rest of the night.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lucy greeted merrily, excited for her first party. She had temporarily forgotten about the bet she made with Cana.

"Yo, Lucy! You ready to have some fun?" Natsu asked. He liked seeing his friend excited and having a good time.

"Of course! What do we do now?"

"We drink," a sly voice said as an arm draped around Lucy's shoulder.

The blonde turned her head to find Cana peering at her with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"N-Now?" Lucy asked. Now the fear was starting to sink in.

"Yep!"

"B-But I just got here!"

"Exactly!"

"You can't escape now Lucy," Gray said with a smirk, his girlfriend latching onto his arm. "You made a deal with the devil. Even the all-mighty Erza bows to Cana in a drinking contest."

Lucy scoffed in an attempt to hide her fear. "W-Well, you've never seen me drink before!"

The group laughed at the blonde, beyond ready to watch her go up against the notorious alcoholic.

"You ready too, Levy?" Cana asked, placing a mug of vodka in front of the petite girl.

The bluenette shook her head. "Nope! Lu-chan made the bet, not me!"

"Oi, shouldn't you be helping your friend?" Gajeel asked, smirking at his soulmate, who blushed under his gaze.

"I am! I'm going to be cheering her on from the sides!"

"Alright, alright. I don't care either way. I just wanna make Lucy regret making a bet with me," Cana said, rubbing her hands together mischievously.

Mira walked up to the group that was seated at their normal table, Lucy and Cana at opposite ends. She placed a mug of vodka in front of both girls and smiled at them.

"You may now start!" the silver-haired woman said, eager to watch the competition. Now there were loads of people surrounding them, making Lucy nervous as she fidgeted in her seat.

"W-Wait," she whispered, "there are a lot of adults here and I'm still underage. Shouldn't we do this somewhere else?"

"Don't worry about it," Mira replied. "Everyone here is practically a family with how much they come here. Everyone knows that the kids drink. You won't get in any trouble."

"O-Okay… So how do we do this?"

"Easy," Cana replied. "We both down the mugs together and Mira keeps giving us more. Old Macao will be keeping count of how many we've had and first to give up, puke, or pass out loses."

Lucy nodded, easily understanding the rules. It truly didn't seem hard to her. Just drink the liquid. Perhaps the taste was what got to people. If that was so, she was just drink it as fast as possible and avoid her tongue the best she could.

"I got this. I'm all fired up," Lucy finally said with a smile.

Natsu sat beside the blonde, eager to watch her down her first mug of alcohol. Yet there was also something else brooding in the pit of his stomach. It was worry. Sure drinking was fun and all, but he was worried about his new friend. It was her first time drinking and she was having a contest with _Cana._ He could only hope she wouldn't get alcohol poisoning.

"Ready, set, go!" Mira exclaimed. The two contestants shared one last look before picking up the mugs and bringing it to their lips.

While Cana drank it with ease, Lucy sipped the substance first and gagged at the taste. This stuff was absolutely revolting! Who in their right mind would actually drink this crap? But she couldn't lose, not with this many people around her. Thus, the blonde craned her head back and downed the drink as fast as she could. Swallowing was difficult and she had to fight the urge to throw it all back up, but she did it. And she felt like she could win.

The two girls were on their fifth mug. Cana continued to drink with ease and would always finish the mug before Lucy and would smirk at her. It was as if she had no taste buds and the alcohol went through a funnel and into her stomach. Lucy on the other hand was struggling. Her head felt heavy and her eyes drooped a bit. Even her vision became a bit blurry. While the mental part of drinking was becoming more difficult, at least the physical part was becoming easier. It was as if she was becoming used to the horrid taste.

After the tenth mug, Lucy held a hand to her mouth and repressed the urge to puke. Once she fought it away, she burst into a fit of giggles, surprising everyone around. Nobody, not even Wakaba or Macao, had made it to ten mugs against Cana. After all, there were no breaks. It was just drink after drink. Thus, nobody was surprised to see that Lucy was completely and utterly wasted.

Lucy stood up from her seat and almost fell immediately. She was lucky to be caught by Natsu, who was staring at her with a mixed look of worry and humor. She was too distracted to remember her contest.

"Lucy, you must keep drinking to win," Mira reminded her, stifling a laugh at the drunk blonde.

"Oh yeahhhh," she replied, wobbling back into her seat. "Hit me!"

"This isn't blackjack, you know?" Natsu asked, chuckling at the blonde while he kept an arm around her just in case she fell back.

"Whatever, just give me another one!"

"I think Lu-chan is nearing her limit," Levy said, amused with her friend. "I hope she isn't too hard to watch over tonight."

"Why don't we all come over and help then?" Erza offered, clearly not taking no for an answer. Before Levy could reply, she continued, "It's decided. All of the girls will go to Lucy's after the party."

"Yay, sleep over!" the blonde shouted, her words slurred. "I'm bored, I wanna dance."

"You have to finish the contest though, Luce!" Natsu said, keeping her seated.

"Oh right. Okay!" After the eleventh mug, the blonde laid her head on the table. "I'm just going to rest my eyes now."

"You forfeit?" Cana asked, seemingly unaffected by the alcohol. She truly was a professional alcoholic.

The girl didn't answer and it didn't take long for everyone to find out she passed out after hearing her snores. Everyone roared with laughter and applause, shocked that the newbie actually made it through eleven mugs of vodka without throwing up. They were sure the blonde was in for a nasty hangover the next morning, but for now it was time for celebration.

Natsu chuckled and pushed some golden locks out of Lucy's face. He then watched as everyone around him ventured off either to go dance or eat. He stayed by his friend's side, stroking her back to help give her some comfort before she had to deal with her hangover.

* * *

About twenty minutes passed as Lucy's eyes fluttered open. She lifted her head and giggled seeing all of the colorful lights flashing. Her head was dizzy and her vision was blurred but she felt so _good._ There were no worries or cares in the world. All she wanted to do was dance.

"Still drunk, huh?"

Lucy turned her head to find Natsu staring at her with a wide grin.

"Dance with me," the blonde replied, ignoring Natsu's question.

"Oh hell no, I don't dance!"

Lucy stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and tears quickly formed in her eyes. The boy groaned as he stood up and held a hand out to her.

"You're just as much of a pain in the ass as the others when they're drunk," he muttered, leading her to the center of the dance floor.

Lucy laughed and wrapped her arms lazily around Natsu's neck and swayed side to side in what was supposed to be a dance. The boy placed his hands on her hips to keep her steady and chuckled at the wasted blonde. A fast-paced song began to play and Lucy pried herself away from Natsu and jumped up and down with the beat. It was a surprise she didn't fall with how much alcohol she had, not to mention the high heels she was wearing. The two continued to dance, their laughter louder than the booming music.

"Ready for your solo?" Cana asked as he came up from behind Lucy and hugged her.

"Yeah! I wanna sing!" Lucy replied, wobbling towards the stage.

Mira stifled a laugh as she let Cana choose the song. The silver-haired woman then grabbed the microphone and headed towards the wobbling blonde. "Everyone, give it up for our newest friend Lucy!"

There was a roar of applause and laughter. Then a catchy rhythm began to play throughout the speakers as Lucy took the microphone into her own hand. She bobbed her head up and down and swayed her body side to side. Then she began to sing, following the words on the screen.

 _You say that I'm messin' with your head_

 _All 'cause I was making out with your friend_

 _Love hurts whether it's right or wrong_

 _I can't stop, 'cause I'm having too much fun._

The song continued, Lucy somehow managing to sing the words on time. It was even more impressive that in her drunken state she managed to remember all of the words and no longer needed to lyrics on the screen.

 _All my life I've been good but now_

 _Oooh_

 _I'm thinking "What the hell?"_

 _All I want is to mess around, and I don't_

 _really care about_

 _If you love me, if you hate me_

 _You can't save me, baby, baby_

 _All my life I've been god but now whoa_

 _"What the hell?"_

Finally the song ended and Lucy wobbled off of the stage towards her friends.

"Wow, Lu-chan! Your dance moves were incredible," Levy said, her voice tainted with sarcasm as she stifled her usual snicker.

"Thanksss, Levy-chan!" the blonde replied. "You know… I think I'm going to barf."

And with that, everyone was brought out of their party modes.

"Juvia thinks it's time to go now," the bluenette said, staring at her friend with worry.

"Yep," Levy agreed.

Erza walked up behind Lucy with a raised fist. "Forgive me for this, Lucy." And with that, she delivered a harsh blow to the blonde's head.

"What the hell was that for!?" Levy screeched. The petite girl knew she wouldn't last in a fight with the redhead but she would try if she did something wrong to Lucy.

"It'll be easier to take her home this way. I do this with Natsu when he gets his motion sickness."

Levy's angry expression morphed into one of understanding and she shrugged. "I'll lead the way to Lu-chan's apartment then."

All of the girls gathered their belongings and made their way to the exit. The rest of the girls continued walking down the street as Levy was stopped by a firm grasp on her wrist and squeaked, a blush creeping onto her face. She turned around, expecting to find Gajeel, but much to her surprise- and disappointment- it was none other than Natsu.

"Did you need something, Natsu?" the petite girl asked, looking at the boy quizzically.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could give me Lucy's number," he answered.

"Why?"

"There's something I gotta tell her."

Levy wiggled her eyebrows and snickered. "Oh, Natsu. You fell for her already?"

"It's not like that-"

"Sorry, Natsu!" Levy interrupted in a joking manner. "But unless you have a flaming key on your back, you might as well just save your confession."

Natsu sighed exasperatedly and lifted off his shirt, ignoring the loud squeal from the girl. He then turned around and winced at the just as loud gasp.

"W-W-What!? Y-You are Lu-chan's soulmate!?" the blue-haired girl screeched. Luckily nobody heard her over the blaring music.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not her soulmate, we just have matching tattoos. This stuff is fake, you do know that right? I mean, you were paired with _Gajeel,_ there's no way you like metal mouth," Natsu replied.

"D-Don't be too sure about that. Anyways, why are you going to tell her if you don't believe in it?"

Natsu sighed and ran his finger through his salmon locks. "Because she believes that this stuff is real and the Ice Princess told me I have to tell her so that she doesn't get her hopes up for nothing. That way she can go looking for her real soulmate or whatever."

" _You_ are her real soulmate, stupid!"

"Whatever, so can you just give me her number? And don't tell her, I want to be the one to do it."

Levy hesitated. Not only did she want to give her best friend's number to some boy that they recently met, she also didn't want to give it to Natsu just so he can ruin her dreams of finding her soulmate. But, Natsu was right, Lucy deserved better and Natsu should be the one to tell her. Thus, with great reluctance, she gave Natsu Lucy's phone number and headed to the group of girls that were waiting patiently for her. The blue-haired girl knew that things were going to end badly from this but for now all she could do was enjoy the sleepover and hope that her friend took everything well.

 **AN:** This chapter didn't have much nalu as I wanted it to be more about Lucy fitting in with the new group of friends. :) Hope you guys enjoyed anyways and I also hope that you enjoy the next chapter! :D

 **Guest:** Ehh, I wouldn't say that he's being cruel! Not telling Lucy would be selfish, but luckily Gray talked some sense into him! :D Thanks for the review! :)

 **BloodRedRubies:** Well, didn't see much of everyone else's drunk selves but you saw a bit of drunk Lucy! :D And of course nobody could beat Cana at a drinking contest, silly Lucy! Thank you for the review! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** Hope it lived up to your expectations! :D Thanks! :)

 **Black Hearts24:** Thank you so much! :D Ooooh, you make me really want to post it. I really do want to, but I think that if I post it while I have these stories running I'll focus too much on that one and not on this one! So, once I finish my other story (which has quit a bit to go) I will post it! :) If I run out of patience then I will post my Nashi story and I'll announce it in the authors note to let you know! :D

 **X-izziechan-x:** Thank you very much! :) I hope it wasn't too much of a wait!

 **MirrorFlame:** Haha everyone seems to be more interested in the drinking contest than the whole soulmate tattoo thing lol!

 **Alexa60765:** Omg I love when bad things happen to my favorite characters too! But no, nothing bed happening to Lucy... yet. ;)

 **Carnatiously:** Hahaha I will never stop with the mystery lines! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thank you! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Hahahahaaha :D

Chapter 6

Lucy woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. It felt as if her brain was slamming itself against her skull repeatedly and the constant churns in her stomach weren't helping. Groaning, the blonde forced herself to sit up in bed, ignoring the increased pain in her head. There was a small lump in the bed beside her, probably Levy as she planned the stay the night. Juvia usually slept on the couch. Bringing her legs over the bed, the girl stretched and got up, only to be tripped and brought down to the floor on top of hard surfaces she didn't recall being there. Groggily opening her eyes, Lucy screamed at the piercing blue eyes that stared into hers.

"Good morning, Lucy!" a familiar voice rang out from her doorway. Lucy looked up to find Mira wearing her apron and smiling at her warmly. "You should keep it down, Erza doesn't like being woken up early."

Lucy looked back down below her and found herself sprawled across three different girls. Sure enough, Erza was there along with Lisanna and Cana. Lisanna giggled and waved while Cana and Erza were still somehow asleep even though the blonde just fell on top of them with full force. Lucy tightly closed her eyes and shook her head. There was no way all of these girls invited themselves into her apartment. Why didn't she remember them coming over?

"I'm sorry," Lucy began as she carefully stood herself up so as to not disturb the sleeping girls, "but why exactly is everyone sleeping in my apartment? I don't remember inviting everyone!"

"You didn't," Mira replied with a giggle. "But you were so intoxicated last night and since Levy didn't know how to deal with drunk people we decided we should come over and help! We left Fairy Tail after you said you were going to puke!"

"Oh good… Are you making pancakes?"

"Yep!"

"Good, I'm starving. There's syrup in the- oh god. I'm going to barf!"

With that, the blonde ran into her bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind her, fearing that if she did she wouldn't make it to the toilet. She hurled repeatedly, not caring if she woke anyone up at this point. Damn, she always hated throwing up. It made her eyes watery and it hurt like a bitch. She mentally made a promise to herself to never drink again.

"Want me to hold your hair?"

Lucy turned around and found Lisanna standing beside her with her signature smile. "Yes please. Thanks, Lisanna."

"Don't mention it. You did great for a newbie! I was surprised you downed eleven mugs of vodka without any chasers!"

Lucy forced a weak laugh and sarcastically replied, "Thanks, I'll make sure to put this in my resume."

The two girls shared a laugh, followed by a gut wrenching hurls. When Lucy finally finished throwing up what felt like all of her intestines, she faced Lisanna and smiled. Then she brushed her teeth in an attempt to get rid of the awful taste that lingered in her mouth either from the previous night's vodka or the vomit. Either way, she felt much better when she had a clean mouth.

When Lucy left her room, she found Mira and Lisanna finishing up cooking pancakes, bacon, and eggs while Juvia chatted with them on the couch. The blonde strode towards the kitchen and froze when she saw Lisanna reaching into a top cupboard and her shirt rode up, showing a tattoo on her lower back. It was a penguin, which confused the girl.

"Is that your soulmate tattoo?" Lucy asked as she retrieved the butter and syrup from refrigerator.

Lisanna smiled and nodded. "Yeah! It's great, isn't it?"

"I-It's cute! But I mean, why is it a penguin?"

"Oh! Because I love animals, but my favorite is penguins! I plan on being a marine biologist when I'm older!"

"Oh, then yeah that's perfect! What about you, Mira?"

The somewhat older woman smiled at the blonde. Then she lifted her dress to show her left thigh which sported a flashy lightning bolt tattoo.

"Mira-nee already has her soulmate," Lisanna said with a giggle as she set the table. "Breakfast is ready! Wake up everyone!"

Just like that, the three sleeping girls that were in Lucy's room stumbled out and sat at the table or in the living room. Then they all began to munch on the food in content, occasionally starting a conversation. Once they all finished eating and cleaning up, the guests left, all except for Levy- who was staring at the blonde with a concerned expression.

"Levy-chan, is something wrong? Did Gajeel say something stupid again?" Lucy asked, placing a comforting hand on the petite girl's shoulder.

The blue-haired girl frowned and shook her head. "It's not that… But Lu-chan, have you ever wondered what it would be like if your soulmate- or, the person who is _supposed_ to be your soulmate- actually turned out to be someone that you didn't quite… expect?"

The blonde smiled at her friend. "Don't worry, Lu-chan. You and Gajeel are two opposites, that's for sure. But you two are perfect for each other! I guess the saying was right after all! Opposites do attract!"

"I wasn't talking about Gajeel…"

Lucy arched a brow and placed her hands on her hips. "You aren't? I don't get what you mean then."

Levy sighed exasperatedly and face-palmed. "I'm just wondering… What if the person that had your matching tattoo wasn't dark-haired and superficially attractive? Or had probably never opened a book before in his life? And what if he's not quiet and doesn't have manners? What if he's loud, kind of annoying sometimes, and gets into fights all of the time? Basically everything you _didn't_ want in a guy. What would you do?"

"That would never happen though!"

"It could!"

"Well then there would have been a mistake! And that would mean that these tattoos are actually meaningless and I would find someone else that fate messed up with and be with him instead!"

Levy furrowed her eyebrows in protest and placed her hands on her hips. "Lucy Heartfilia, you're such a hypocrite!"

Lucy scoffed at the statement and crossed her arms. She quickly shot back, "How am I a hypocrite?"

"You just said Gajeel and I are opposites and that we're perfect together! You just said that opposites attract! So why is it when it's about you, suddenly fate made a mistake?" the blue-haired girl answered.

"I-It just is! It's different! Look, you were surprised when you found out somebody like _Gajeel_ was your soulmate! And I know that you fell for him, but I already know that I would never ever in a _billion_ years fall for somebody like that! And there's no way somebody like that would fall for me too! It's better to save our time! Why are we even talking about this anyway?"

Levy opened her mouth to scream the answer but immediately closed it remembering Natsu specifically asked her not to. It was his secret to spill, not hers. Thus, the girl grabbed her belongings and marched to the door. Giving her best friend one last look, she said one last thing, "I hope you change your mind about it, Lu-chan. I may not know him that much, but I can already tell he's a good guy. And even Gajeel admitted he was a good person."

Lucy was about to question her friend, but Levy already closed the door and left. " _What the hell does that mean?"_ The blonde was going to take a nap to forget her recent conversation but was stopped when her phone buzzed on her nightstand. Picking it up, the girl found that it was a text from an unrecognized number.

"Yo, Luce!" it read. Lucy smiled as she knew exactly who it was from. Only one person used that nickname for her.

"Natsu?" she texted back.

"Yeah!" he replied instantly. "Let's hang out!"

"Today?"

"Yep! I got something I need to tell you!"

"Well, I'm a little hungover… Can we do it later? :)"

"Sure! Is seven good?"

"Yeah! I'll see you later! Meet me at Fairy Tail!"

After all, she sure felt like she needed a distraction.

* * *

Lucy walked into Fairy Tail and immediately spotted her pink-headed friend. Rushing towards the boy, she smiled at him and took the seat across from him.

"Hi, Natsu!" she greeted.

"Yo, Luce!" the boy replied almost just as eagerly, followed by an awkward chuckle.

Lucy could immediately tell that there was something he was nervous about.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Natsu glanced around the pub and locked gazes with Gray, who was looking at him expectantly. Then he stood up with a sigh and held out his hand. The girl stared at the hand quizzically.

"Are we not staying here?"

"Nah, I would rather tell you somewhere more private."

"Then why the hell did you make me walk all the way over here!?"

"Would you just get up and walk with me already?"

Lucy obliged after delivering a harsh glare. The two walked out of the pub and ventured the town of Magnolia. The blonde didn't know if Natsu was leading her somewhere specifically, but by the way he would look at their surroundings she assumed they were walking around aimlessly. The girl didn't mind though. Stars were illuminating the sky, lighting up their path and that was all she needed. It was a bit chilly however, and considering the fact that jackets weren't necessarily a part of her wardrobe, goosebumps covered her arms and her teeth chattered from the cold breeze.

"I don't think I've ever seen you wear a jacket since we met," Natsu suddenly said, bringing the girl out of her thoughts.

"You act as if you've known me for years," she replied followed by a light giggle.

"I feel like I have!"

"Sure. If you must know, I was forced to cover almost every inch of my body in fabric with puffy and heavy dresses. So now that I'm out of that life, I refuse to cover more of my skin than I need to!"

Natsu smirked. "So freezing to death is worth it as long as you get to show off your arms?"

"Shut up. You know, you could at least give me your jacket if you're so worried about me freezing to death."

"Nah, I ain't that worried."

Lucy punched the laughing boy beside her but couldn't fight the giggle that escaped her own mouth. It was such a peaceful night, all of the negative thoughts from before completely vanished under the starlight. It was all thanks to Natsu, the boy she had met not even a week ago.

"Hey Natsu," she began, "what is it you wanted to talk about before?" Lucy could see a tint of pink dusting his cheeks before he quickly looked in the opposite direction.

"I'll tell you when we get to your place," he replied, shoving his hands deep inside his pockets.

"My place? You mean, you've been walking around all this time trying to walk me home? When you don't even know where I live!?"

"Sheesh, Luce! Don't yell so much!"

After promptly slapping the boy upside his head, Lucy grabbed his wrist and dragged them in the complete opposite direction they were previously headed. After Natsu snatched his wrist back, the two walked side by side in a comfortable silence. That is until his stomach growled loud enough to wake up the entire neighborhood. Hell, maybe even the whole town. The pinkette smiled sheepishly at the girl beside him. Then his smile morphed into a smirk as a mischievous glint shone in his eyes.

"Last one to your place has to make dinner!" he shouted as he began to run down the street, cackling the entire time.

Lucy sighed and shook her head. It was like she was dealing with a two year old. But then she smirked, her own playful side bubbling within her. After all, there was no way he would beat her to her own apartment when he didn't even know where she lived. The blonde looked back up, ready to begin her leisure walk home but froze mid-step, her eyes glued to something she wasn't expecting to see for a long time. Her jaw dropped on its hinges and her mouth dried immediately as if it was in a drought. Her body was paralyzed, stuck like a statue. But it was all understandable. After all, as Natsu ran in front of her, not noticing that she hadn't moved, there was a large gust of wind that blew his coat up just enough. Just enough to showcase a flaming key in the center of his back.

 **AN:** DON'T KILL ME FOR THE CLIFFHANGER! :D Btw, I loved your guys' reaction towards Natsu but I didn't mean to make him come off as an asshole or anything haha! :D He's just not wanting a relationship or anything like that and is actually being kind telling her now instead of disappointing her when her soulmate never shows up, you know? :)

 **MirrorFlame:** And now she is suffering from a severe hangover haha! :D

 **Guest:** You'll have to wait until the next chapter for their conversation haha! :D Thanks for the review! :)

 **Guest:** Haha I can't guarantee anything, but I will say: ;D

 **Anime:** Thank you! I'm loving the reviews! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Cana will forever be the queen of drinking! :D And you'll find out the next chapter! :)

 **Humbleblossom:** Haha maybe he will, maybe he won't! And you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** YOU'LL BE FINE I PROMISE.

 **Snavej:** Thank you and I guess you'll have to find out next time! :D

 **1-800fangirl:** Thank you so much! :D And yes I had to use the song because I thought it would be PERFECT for her at the moment haha! And it'll be a while before then but it'll happen I promise!

 **T-tawny:** Glad you liked the song choice! :D And thank you for the review! :)

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you haha! :D No drama... yet!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Here is the moment you all have been waiting for and I can guarantee it's not going to go how you all imagined at all lmao. Hope you enjoy anyways! :D ALSO! THE LAST HALF IS FOR EVERYONE THAT WANTED MORE OF GAJEEL AND LEVY'S PROGRESSING RELATIONSHIP SO YOU'RE WELCOME ENJOY!

Chapter 7

Lucy stood absolutely still, unable to move. She willed her legs to move forward but it was futile. In fact, part of her didn't want to go forward. She wanted to go _back._ Back before she got in this situation. Back before she saw a flaming key tattoo on Natsu's back. Back before she found out that Natsu was her soulmate.

There was a whirlwind of emotions in Lucy's body, but one stood out the most. Anger. The girl was angry that fate just _had_ to screw up when it came to her soulmate. After all, it was mistake-free all of her life up until this moment. Her parents, Levy, Juvia, even her newer friends like Erza. Their tattoos worked out perfectly for them and yet it seemed to refuse to let her find love. After all, how the hell could somebody like _Natsu_ be her soulmate?

He was loud, brash, thickheaded, dense, and didn't even care about things like love. He definitely wasn't too smart, a bookworm, dark-haired, or literally any other thing that Lucy wanted in her soulmate. He was the complete _opposite._ Sure, the girl knew that he was an excellent friend, but there was absolutely no way in hell he was her soulmate.

" _He was right,"_ Lucy thought, her hands balling into tight fists, " _these tattoos are just coincidences. They don't determine soulmates! Maybe best friends! Yeah, that's it! They just show who your best friend and everyone mistook it for soulmates!"_

Lucy was brought out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps quickly approaching her. Lifting her head, the girl found Natsu running towards her with a confused expression. The blonde sighed, not wanting to see much more of Natsu at the moment. But she shook it off. He was her friend and nothing would change them, especially not some silly tattoo that now meant nothing to her.

"What are you doing, Lucy?" Natsu finally asked. Despite all of his running, he didn't break a sweat.

"You have the tattoo," Lucy replied, ignoring his question. To her surprise, her voice stayed calm.

Natsu's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something but closed it immediately. There was no point in denying it, but he didn't know what exactly to say. His heart clenched in pain at the thought of Lucy cutting all ties off with him over their tattoos, so he stayed silent, waiting for her to speak again. And finally, she did.

"How long did you know?" the girl finally questioned.

Natsu shrugged and averted his eyes to the ground, kicking small pebbles away. "I found out a couple days ago. The day you had your date with Loke. You were freaking out and you described your tattoo and I heard it was exactly like mine… Listen, Lucy, you're a great girl and you're quickly becoming one of my best friends. I mean, it's crazy how fast I've gotten comfortable around you! But I can say with complete confidence that you and I are going to be best friends! Anyways, I'm sorry, I know that you were looking forward to meeting your soulmate, but I don't want a relationship or anything… I-I just want to stay friends and I know that you might be sad and-"

"Natsu, stop!" Lucy interrupted, followed by a sigh. "Listen, I know I was pretty crazy about meeting my soulmate, but you were right!"

"Huh?"

"You were right!" Lucy repeated. "These tattoos don't determine who you are supposed to fall in love with! Nothing controls that! It's just a coincidence! You wanna know what I think? I think that it really determines who our best friend is supposed to be and everyone else just made the mistake of thinking it determined their soulmate! Which means you and I are making the right choice!"

Natsu cocked his head to the side and stared at the girl in front of him quizzically. "So you aren't mad or upset or anything?"

"Nope! Well, I guess I was a little upset at first but now that I know you and I are destined to be best friends, I'm happy!"

A toothy grin etched onto Natsu's face as he let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank Mavis! I thought you would try to get me to be with you!"

Lucy scoffed and playfully nudged her friend. "As if! Don't flatter yourself! You're not my type. I want someone with dark hair, loves to read, has manners, and is quiet! You're the complete opposite! And I'm sure you want a girl that is playful and more outgoing!"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Ehh, I guess I never really thought about it. I don't care about soulmates, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Lucy replied, a small smile gracing her lips. "Anyways, don't worry about me. I'll find my soulmate eventually, no matter how long it takes."

"So we're good?"

"Yep!"

Natsu smiled a face-splitting grin and ruffled he girl's golden hair, laughing at her pouts and protests. Things were going to be just fine between him and his dear friend. He was crazy for thinking anything else would happen. After all, he wasn't Lucy's type and he never would be.

"Is it time to continue our race?" he finally asked with bright eyes and an eager grin.

Lucy returned the smile and nodded. "Get ready to make us some dinner, Dragneel! Oh, and by the way, I don't have any hot sauce."

With that said, the blonde dashed towards her apartment, Natsu easily trailing behind her. She knew that he was undoubtedly faster, but still enjoyed the wind rushing through her hair as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Natsu made her feel so alive in ways that she never knew she could be. The girl frowned as the boy easily ran past her. But her smile returned as he would stop and wait for her to get in front of him again to lead the way considering he didn't know where she lived. Once the two arrived at the apartment complex, Lucy came up with the perfect plan as Natsu was hot on her trail. She slowed to a jog and ran past her own apartment door and up to her neighbor's door. She held her hand out, acting as though that was her actual apartment when Natsu immediately ran past her to beat her there. Then, the blonde quickly turned back around, giggling at Natsu's shouts. She placed her hand on her door and let out tired pants. She won.

"No fair, you cheated!" Natsu cried out, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed.

"Don't be a sore loser!" Lucy replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Whatever."

Once Lucy unlocked the door, they both entered the apartment. It was a decent size. The living room was spacious and the kitchen had just enough room for three people to cook without bumping elbows.

"Looks a lot like my place!" Natsu said.

"I don't believe you. There's no way that your place is as clean as mine," Lucy replied.

"Well, it isn't. I just meant that I have a couch and a TV set up the same way you do!"

"Do you live by yourself too?"

"Yep! It's awesome!"

"Where do your parents live?" Lucy questioned, unaware of how incredibly nosy she was being.

"Who knows?" Natsu replied with a carefree tone of voice.

The blonde immediately regretted asking but something stirred inside of her and she was unable to keep her mouth shut. "What do you mean by that?"

"Jeez, Luce. Has anyone ever told you that you are super nosy and don't know how to take the hint?"

The girl flushed from head to toe. "S-Sorry. I was just a bit curious. You don't have to tell me."

Natsu stared at Lucy, analyzing her features before shaking his head and releasing a heavy sigh. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's just not something I like talking about. I'll tell you someday, but for now let's just focus on dinner. I've been told I make awesome ramen."

"Oh, I haven't had homemade ramen! We'll need to go get some ingredients!" Lucy replied, grabbing her purse before a hand clamped around her wrist.

The pinkette stared at her sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about that… I don't know how to cook at all. I was talking about top ramen."

Lucy stared at the boy incredulously. "You mean the kind where you just boil water?"

"Yep."

"Everyone can make that, stupid! How about I teach you how to make something and we make it together? That way the next time I beat you at something you'll know how to make us something?"

"You'll never beat me at anything ever again because you _cheated_ this time and I won't let you the next time!"

Lucy giggled and set her purse back onto its spot on her table. Walking past her friend, she entered her kitchen and opened her pantry to retrieve the ingredients they needed: a box of uncooked noodles and seasoning. She then pulled some chicken from her freezer and let it thaw. Natsu sat at the counter, watching her every movement before she ordered him to mince the garlic and cut the meat into thin pieces. The blonde did most of the work and within the next hour, the two were eating a creamy, cheese-filled pasta with perfectly seasoned chicken.

"I can't believe I made something this good!" Natsu exclaimed, inhaling his food in a beastly manner.

"Well, I did most of the work," Lucy corrected, savoring the cheesy bites of pasta. "But good job!"

The two continued to chat, food flying from Natsu's mouth as he did. Lucy scolded him more than once to have better manners, but eventually gave up. That was just who Natsu was: a messy, loud, obnoxious, and yet fun-filled person. She wouldn't change him for anything. Or so she thought until a piece of food flew out of the pinkette's mouth and landed in her hair. Yeah, she would change _that_ about him.

* * *

"Oi, where are you taking me, Shrimp?"

"Shut up and walk faster! For someone with such long legs you are as slow as a slug!"

"Small and feisty, aren't you?"

"Shut it Gajeel or else I will rip your hair off strand by strand."

Levy and Gajeel walked through the streets of Magnolia. The petite girl was beyond irritated as she was quickly reaching her limit with her cranky soulmate. She wasn't dumb, she knew that she was falling for him, but there was only so much she could take before she felt her brain was going to explode.

Gajeel on the other hand was actually enjoying himself that night. The stars were shining and there was nobody around to dampen his mood. He always hated huge crowds and preferred to stay by himself or with a limited amount of people. Thus, the night was perfect for him. What made it even more pleasant was the irritated girl in front of him. Gajeel found that he enjoyed teasing her and making her mad. Her angry personality was more amusing than her shy, scared personality. Though, he did enjoy those parts of her as well. He was beyond scared of how much he liked her. It all started that damned day he found out they were supposedly soulmates.

 _Gajeel walked home with his hands shoved in his pockets per usual. It was only a couple of hours ago when he found the only other person in the world that sported the same tattoo as he, and from the looks of it, fate had to have made a mistake. The girl was short and girly, not like he pictured her to be. And it was deadly clear how she wasn't fond of mechanics or really anything that he was. He wasn't blind and knew she was cute, but surely there had to be a mistake. There was no way someone like her was supposed to fall for someone like him._

 _Gajeel had a harsh past. After he was abandoned by his father at a young age, just as his cousins were with their own parents, he sadly wound up living a life of crime. It started with stealing basic necessities for survival, but soon after that it became anything he wanted. Hell, he even stole things that held no interest to him. Then one night, he was caught and had to run as fast as he could away from the store owner chasing him. He ran into an ally where he met a group of thugs that were older than him. It was clear that they did far worse things than he did and they quickly tried to recruit him. Not wanting to be alone any longer, he accepted and joined what was known as the Phantom Lord gang, one of the most notorious gangs in the country. They stole, fought, and even killed. Gajeel was lucky enough to never have to kill anyone, but he wasn't so lucky to avoid hurting innocent people. It wasn't until Natsu, one of his cousins, found him and dragged him out of his meaningless life- using his fists of course- and dragged him into school and forced him to meet his friends._

 _That was why it was so strange for Gajeel to find out that such an innocent, tiny girl could be his soulmate. After all, she never even had a sip of alcohol! He stared at the petite, blue-headed girl and shook his head. There was no way that could be right. Yet, when Levy shyly brought her eyes to meet his, he couldn't deny that his heart stopped beating for a second. Despite his scruffy appearance, Gajeel had a love for all things adorable. And Levy was the most adorable thing he had ever laid his eyes on. His heart continued to thump loudly in his chest but he maintained his uncaring façade._

 _Gajeel wasn't as skeptical as Natsu was. He saw the evidence around him and knew that the mysterious tattoos meant something. And seeing the nail tattoo above Levy's right thigh, the boy couldn't say that it meant nothing. They were soulmates. Which chilled him to his very core. He was dangerous and evil. He was a criminal. She was an innocent and pure flower. Even though his heart leaped out of his chest looking at the girl, he just couldn't bring her down with the likes of him. He just couldn't._

Yet here he was, walking the petite girl home after what she called a date at a local pizza place downtown. No matter how much Gajeel willed himself not to get too acquainted with Levy, the boy couldn't help but trail behind her like a shadow when she came to Fairy Tail. He couldn't help his erratic heart at the sight of her entering the pub. And despite how hard he fought against it, he couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips whenever he got a text from her.

Gajeel knew he was falling for her and he couldn't stop.

"Oi, Shrimp-"

"Don't call me that!" Levy interrupted, mercilessly banging his chest with her fists.

"Ouch, fine! _Levy!_ Listen, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, can you stop being so mad at me already?" Gajeel huffed, averting his eyes as the girl turned to face him.

"How could I?" she rhetorically asked incredulously, about to go into a frenzy. "I get the courage to ask you to go on a date with me because you're too much of a _wimp_ to ask me, then I get there and all you do is tell me that you're a bad person and that I should stay away! Well screw you, Gajeel! You're stuck with me and you're going to have to deal with it! I don't care what kinds of things you used to do so shut up and deal with it so we can be together already without me having to yell at you like this!"

Gajeel's mouth gaped open like a fish out of water as he stared at the girl. Her brows were furrowed and her face was a bright red as her hands were balled into tight fists. Oh, she was angry. He could practically see the steam blowing out of her ears. The corner of his lips tugged into a small smirk and he ruffled the girl's hair.

"Fine. I'll shut up about my past as long as I get to keep my nickname for you," he finally said.

Levy crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine. Now walk me home already."

Gajeel chuckled and awkwardly draped an arm over his soulmate's shoulder. It was uncomfortable seeing as how much shorter she was than him. But when he felt her arm snake around his waist, he smiled and got used to the awkward feeling. The height difference and his past were things they were going to have to work around, but he was glad that he had the opportunity to get to know her.

"That's Lu-chan's apartment," Levy randomly stated, pulling the boy out of his thoughts and pointing at an apartment complex. "We should all hang out sometime!"

"Sounds lame," Gajeel replied, but he knew that he would be dragged there eventually.

Levy only ignored his rude remark and awkwardly stammered, "H-Hey, Gajeel… Do you know about Natsu's tattoo?"

The scruffy teen raised a brow before answering, "You mean the one that matches Bunny Girl's? Yeah, I know about it. What about it though?"

"So you know they're soulmates?"

"I did since the moment Bunny Girl went into her frenzy about being single."

Levy giggled and nodded. "Yeah, Lu-chan can get like that sometimes. But it's only because she never got the chance before."

"What do you mean?"

The blue-haired girl opened her mouth only to close it again. Lucy was her best friend and she would feel guilty spilling something so personal about her life. But she was talking to Gajeel, and she trusted him and knew that he wouldn't say anything so she willed herself to speak again.

"Lu-chan grew up in a really strict and wealthy family," she finally said.

"Richer than yours?" Gajeel questioned.

"Oh definitely. My family is dirt poor compared to hers."

The dark-haired boy let out a whistle. "Good to know."

"Anyways," Levy continued, "after her mom died, her dad apparently went a little crazy. He locked her away from the outside world even more than she was before. He set up everything in her life: her meals, her clothes, how she used her time. He planned out her entire life." A sad smile etched onto the girl's face as she continued. "She was only thirteen when he began arranging marriages for her."

"Thirteen!?" Gajeel asked, his eyes wide.

Levy nodded glumly. "Yeah. Lu-chan told me that she would end up finding a way to make the other family uninterested in her before it was too late. But there was one family that didn't quit. I guess they wanted her money that bad it didn't matter to them what she was like at all. So in the end, her dad arranged the marriage and Lucy was engaged at the age of fourteen."

"Damn, that's messed up."

"It is," Levy agreed. "Lu-chan didn't tell me what she did to get out of that one, but eventually things with her dad got better. I met him recently and he is actually very kind. I guess they just needed to talk things out. Anyways, after they did that, he allowed her to go to a real school and that's how I met her! She never had the opportunity to make real friends or go on dates or find her own love. That's why I don't blame her for being more high-strung over these things. It makes me feel bad that things are working out with you when things aren't going so well in her love-life."

Gajeel analyzed the girl's features and found that she was truly upset for her friend. He knew that Natsu could definitely use some extra love in his life, and that's when the thought hit him.

"Hey, I have an idea," he said. "Let's set them up."

"Huh?" Levy raised a brow.

"Well, they're supposed to be together, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"They are both too dumb to realize it, so let's help them out."

"How are we going to do that?"

A smirk etched itself onto Gajeel's face as he rubbed his hands mischievously together.

"I have a plan."

 **AN:** So they know about the tattoos now and it's all good between the two! :D We also got some nalu and even gale fluff! :) Hope you enjoyed!

 **Humbleblossom:** Hope you liked the reactions! :D

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LOVE IT

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** IT DIDN'T GO TOO DOWN BUT IT WAS SOMETHING HOPE YOU ENJOYED! :D

 **Snavej:** She didn't do much, did she!? But I hope you enjoyed anyways!

 **MirrorFlame:** I'M SORRY IT HAD TO BE DONE HAHAHA!

 **Fairy tail fan:** YES! That is exactly why he didn't give his coat! Glad you caught on! And I guess you'll have to see what she does from this point!

 **Grimnack:** DUN DUN DUUUUN

 **Alexa60765:** ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THOSE! :D Instead, just utter denial! :D There will be drama later in the story though ;)

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Thanks!

 **FireShifter:** Thank you for all of the reviews! :D And I do the same thing haha, I read a story and then I forget to click follow! Then I lose it and have to search to find it haha!

 **MaidenAlice:** Now you know! :D Hope you enjoyed! :)

 **CelestialDragon14:** Hahaha cliffhangers are what I live for! And thank you hope you enjoyed!

 **1-800fangirl:** Can't strangle me or else I wouldn't be able to finish! ;D Everyone expected anger and drama and stuff, so this chapter must've been a shocker haha!

 **BloodRedRubies:** Oh it is haha! I can handle 11 shots, but I wanted to do mugs because that's what everyone drinks out of in the show haha! Lucy's and Natsu's is pretty big but Levy and Juvia's are more on the smaller side! Especially Juvia's. Loke's is really small, it all depends on the tattoo! :D

 **21jhauptman:** Hahaha yes it was! I love cliffhangers!

 **KamuiKamuy:** Hello again! :D And thank you so much I'm glad you like my stories!

 **Lunahartz:** Thank you for the reviews! :D And Lucy is fine, just in denial! :D And thank you so much I personally think that if you have a good idea, you can write a great story! Now I have to google who Rick Riordan is lol!

 **T-tawny:** NOTHING TOO DRAMATIC BUT HOPE YOU ENJOYED ANYWAYS!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Alright, there's a little bit of a time skip now! Two weeks worth! So it's almost been a month since Lucy and Natsu met! :D

Chapter 8

"Good morning, girls!" Lucy greeted as she walked into the classroom on a tiring Monday morning.

"Morning, Lucy!" her two friends greeted in return.

The blonde strode happily to her desk and plopped eagerly into her seat. Sure she was exhausted, but she was also the happiest she had ever been in her life.

Two weeks had passed since she found out that Natsu was supposed to be her soulmate. Surprisingly, things never became awkward between them. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Ever since Levy gave him her number, Natsu had been spamming her with text messages to which the girl would eagerly respond to. At night, he would call her and she would happily answer until it was time for bed. She recalled the first time they talked on the phone before bed.

 _"Natsu, it's late! Stop calling me!" Lucy screeched into the phone. It was one of their first phone conversations so she wasn't used to it yet._

 _"Oh c'mon, Luce! I can't sleep!" Natsu replied. "Just talk to me for a little bit!"_

 _The blonde glanced at the alarm clock that resided on her nightstand and sighed. "Fine, but only for an hour."_

 _The two ended up talking effortlessly for way past an hour. At first Lucy was insecure about her voice, but eventually got over it as they continued to talk. It was nearing midnight when she released a loud yawn._

 _"You tired, Luce?" Natsu asked, followed by a chuckle._

 _"Not at all," she lied. Contrary to what she thought before, talking to Natsu on the phone before bed was actually very entertaining and she enjoyed every minute of it- other than the fact that she lost track of time. She knew she would regret it in the morning but at the moment she didn't mind._

 _"Go to sleep, Luce," Natsu said after hearing her yawn once again._

 _"I don't want to! Talking to you is fun and it's kinda lonely at night sometimes," Lucy replied as she wrapped herself with her blanket._

 _"How about this then," the boy began, "why don't I talk to you until you fall asleep? You can't reply, you can only listen. Eventually you'll pass out."_

 _"What are you going to talk about?"_

 _"I don't know, anything that comes to mind."_

 _"How will you know if I fell asleep?"_

 _"I'll just know. Ready?"_

 _"Alright. Goodnight, Natsu."_

 _"Night, Luce… Alright, let's see... Oh, I got it! Let me tell you about the time I lit the Chemistry class on fire!"_

 _Lucy listened intently as her eyes began to droop closed. Natsu's voice was soothing as it was not too deep nor too high. It was just the right pitch for her to fall asleep to. So she did._

Since then, talking on the phone until she passed out became a nightly ritual. Every night Natsu had a new story for her and every night the girl would fall asleep with a smile plastered on her face. Natsu was easily becoming her best friend and it made her glad.

Not only that, but Lucy was also becoming much more acquainted with her other friends from Fairy Tail. Erza invited herself over at least once a week; Cana always brought up their drinking contest; Jellal was shy but Lucy managed to talk to him about school life; even Gajeel seemed to be talking to her more! She was surprised when Gajeel suddenly made efforts to talk to her and was even more surprised when he started asking her strange things like her preferences in boys, but she shrugged it off, assuming that Levy told him to make greater strides considering she was her best friend.

"Levy, who are you texting?" Juvia asked with a raised brow. "Levy hasn't stopped looking at her phone and smiling mischievously at it! Is it Gajeel-kun?"

Lucy was immediately brought out of her thoughts as she stared at her friend with a smirk glued to her face. Levy flushed from the attention and hid her phone from the two girls.

"Are you two dating now!?" Lucy asked- more like screeched.

"No!" Levy denied. "We aren't talking about anything like that!"

"What are you talking about then?"

"N-Nothing! Anyways, Lu-chan, have you found any boys that interested you lately?"

Lucy raised a brow. "No, why?"

"No reason! No reason at all! I just thought that if you did I could tease you instead!"

The blonde sighed and shook her head. "Well, that's gonna be a while from now. I haven't met any guy lately. At the party I met a couple but I was too drunk to remember their names or anything. Besides, they were probably all creeps anyways. So again, I will not be finding any guy to interest me any time soon."

"I don't know about that, Lu-chan!" Levy argued with a small smirk. "Your first boyfriend might be closer than you think!"

And though none of them knew it, Levy was right.

* * *

The trio of girls walked into Fairy Tail with eager smiles. They have long gotten accustomed to the stench of beer and cigarette smoke and instead focused on seeing their friends. Lucy would always sit between Natsu and Loke, Levy would always sit between Gajeel and Erza, and Juvia would always sit between Gajeel and Gray. They wouldn't be surprised if their names were literally carved into the seats by that point.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted in his typical cheery matter. "Your preppy school gets out too late!"

"We only get out an hour later than you," Lucy replied as she took her seat. "How's everyone's day been?"

"Lame," Gray answered with a huff of annoyance. "I got lunch detention tomorrow."

"For what!?" Juvia asked incredulously.

"I got in a fight with a new transfer student," the boy muttered.

"What? Why?" Levy questioned. She then turned to Gajeel and said, "You better not get into any fights."

"Gihi," was all Gajeel responded with. "Tell them already, Gray!"

The dark-haired boy glared off in the distance as he recalled what happened. "It wasn't anything too serious. But I was walking to lunch with Flame Brain when I accidentally bumped into someone. I apologized and that's when he started running his mouth."

"What did he say to my lovely Gray-sama!?" Juvia asked, clenching onto the table with all of her might. Everyone at the table inched away from the blunette, fearing what she would do to them while she was angry. She always was overprotective of her boyfriend.

"Calm down, Juvia," Gray replied, placing his hand on his girlfriend to stop her from getting so riled up. "Anyways, he was just going on about how I wasn't dressed properly and how I shouldn't go around shirtless-"

"Well you shouldn't," Lucy interrupted, but then placed her hands in front of her as Juvia and Gray glared at her.

The dark-haired boy cleared his throat and continued, "He kept going on about manners and respect and I guess I just got irritated and threw a punch at him but the dude was surprisingly fast. He dodged my hit and punched back. We both fought until we were separated by teachers."

"This guy sounds like a stick in the mud!" Lucy exclaimed to try to defend her friend.

Levy raised a brow at her best friend. "Really, Lu-chan? Because he sounds perfect for you."

The blonde scoffed. "What do you mean? He sounds like a party pooper!"

"C'mon, Lu-chan! He talked about manners and respect and you nag at Gray about being shirtless all the time! Sounds like a match made in heaven to me!"

"Shut up," Lucy muttered under her breath. Her friend was right. If that boy was dark-haired and handsome she would probably be drooling over him.

The group laughed and continued to tease their friend.

"He really isn't all that bad," Lisanna said after everyone calmed down. "His name is Hibiki and he's in one of my classes and he's really nice! I'm sure you two will talk it over and become friends!"

"As if," Gray grumbled. "That guy sucks."

"Oh hush now," Erza said. "I met him and he is lovely. I will not tolerate any fighting in my school!"

"She sounds as if she's the principal," Lucy whispered to Loke, who in turn stifled a laugh.

Erza glared at Lucy before continuing. "Gray and Hibiki will make amends and become friends! In fact, I will invite him here after school tomorrow!"

"How do you know he'll come?" Levy questioned.

"I am the student president, he cannot refuse," the redhead answered with a dangerous glint in her eyes, informing the rest of the group that she would resort to threats if she had to.

"Are you gonna stop her?" Gray asked Jellal.

The blue-haired boy shrugged and answered, "There is no stopping Erza when she's this determined. Maybe next time you should control your anger instead of starting fights with the new kids."

"Juvia," Erza began, ignoring the two boys' scuffle, "you are not to harm Hibiki. You will treat him kindly."

"Juvia cannot promise anything," the bluenette truthfully replied.

The group laughed together once more and started to chat idly about everyone else's days.

The next day repeated the same process. Lucy woke up, got ready for school, endured a gruesome day of learning, and went to Fairy Tail with her two best friends. The only difference was the tall, light brown-haired boy sitting in Juvia's seat beside Gray.

"That must be the guy Gray got in a fight with," Lucy whispered to her two friends as they approached the table.

"H-He's not what I expected him to look like," Levy replied in her own hushed tone. "I expected him to look more like a… well like a _nerd."_

"Love rival," was all that Juvia said as she shot daggers at the boy that inhabited her reserved seat by her boyfriend.

The two other girl's sighed at their friend's mindset and ushered her towards the table. Juvia took Lisanna's spot since she was working a shift at the pub that day while the other two girls took their own signature seats. That was when Lucy took a better look at the newcomer who she recalled went by the name Hibiki.

Hibiki had somewhat messy and long brownish blonde hair that framed his face magnificently. Lucy could even see from where she was sitting his long, dark eyelashes and even felt envious towards them. By the way he dressed, Lucy assumed he was a gentleman as he wore a dark, double-breasted suit, something that a typical teenage boy wouldn't wear. Then she wondered why he wasn't wearing the school uniform that the rest of the boys at the table were wearing.

"Is something the matter, miss?" a soothing voice asked.

Lucy met Hibiki's eyes and flushed deeply. She shook her head furiously, embarrassed to be caught ogling at a complete stranger.

"I-I was just wondering why you weren't wearing the school uniform," Lucy answered. Staring into the boy's eyes, she felt her heart stop in her chest. His dark eyes were deep and mysterious, intriguing the blonde to no end. He didn't have dark hair or green eyes but he was definitely about to make her drool.

Hibiki chuckled and ran a hand through his hair gracefully. "I don't enjoy wearing the uniform longer than necessary, so I change out of it as soon as school ends."

"T-That's cool."

Lucy felt a nudge in her ribs and turned to face the culprit. Loke was staring at her under his tinted glasses with narrowed eyes.

The orange-headed boy then leaned towards her and whispered, "Thought you don't like womanizers?"

The blonde's cheeks, which were previously a bright pink, turned into a deep red as she whispered back, "W-What do you mean? I'm just talking to him!"

"Oh please," Loke scoffed. "I could walk out the door and all the way out of Fiore and _still_ see your blushing face from there."

"Shut it! And there's no way he's a womanizer, he is just a gentleman!" Lucy turned her attention back to the newbie of the group, who was staring back at her with a puzzled look. Gracing her lips was a shy smile as she waved at him.

Hibiki returned the smile. "It's nice to meet you, uhh…"

"Oh, my name is Lucy!"

"Ahh, yes. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful lady!"

The blonde giggled and hid her scorching face beneath her hands. "T-Thanks."

Natsu switched his gaze between the two that were easily hitting it off with one another. He surveyed the girl's face and scowled at the blush that painted her cheeks. What was so special about this guy? He was practically another Loke but way less funny and not nearly as kind. Yet the blushes and giggles Lucy kept sending towards him had him thinking otherwise. There was clearly something that she liked about Hibiki, and that irked Natsu for reasons unknown to him. All he knew was that he felt the urge to sock the playboy in his face and drag Lucy back home. He didn't, of course. Instead, he watched the two chat and warm up to one another while he suppressed the nauseous feeling in his stomach.

Gajeel noticed Natsu's disturbed expression and glared at Hibiki, who in turn only smiled at Lucy. The sight made him want to puke. Glancing towards Levy, he saw that the petite girl was actually smiling at the two! As far as he could remember, they _just_ made a plan to hook Lucy and Natsu together, yet here she was allowing this newbie to flirt with her friend!

"What are you doing?" the scruffy teen whispered.

The petite girl stared quizzically at the boy beside her and shrugged. She then whispered back, "What? They seem to like each other! I'm proud of Lu-chan!"

"This isn't the plan!"

"Well, screw the plan! As far as I could tell, this guy is charming and sweet! And he is _definitely_ Lu-chan's type. I'm going to support it!"

"Oi! What about Natsu!?"

Levy shrugged once more. "What about him? He was the one that said he didn't want anything to happen between them and that the whole tattoo thing wasn't real."

"But just look at the sorry guy! He's obviously jealous!"

"Then he shouldn't have said all those things! Let it be, Gajeel!"

Gajeel muttered a curse word under his breath and crossed his arm. He fought the urge to puke once more as Hibiki continued to make Lucy laugh while Natsu only watched. Their plan was crumbling, but if Levy told him to stand down, then that's what he was going to. His cousin would have to fix this mess himself, and from the looks of hit he had better done it soon, because it was quickly becoming clear to everyone at the table that sparks were flying. They just weren't flying between the pair they all wanted.

 **AN:** Hibiki is now joining the story! :D Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and leave a nice review for me! :D

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! And yeah I noticed that everyone thought a fight would ensue, but I wanted them to both be in denial about it! And it wouldn't make sense for Lucy to be mad at Natsu for telling the truth, you know? Gotta save the drama for later fights haha! :D

 **Snavej:** Thank you I'm glad! I was worried people wouldn't like it!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha thank you everyone loved the gale!

 **1-800fangirl:** Thank you so much! I just didn't think it would make sense for Lucy to get mad at Natsu for it! And thank you hahaha I never write big moments for other pairings but I really liked that gale moment haha!

 **Kaede Kayano:** Thank you! :D And I do too!

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Thank you very much! :) And I wasn't planning on any big moments for Jerza, I have little snippets of them having matching tattoos but nothing like the gale part from last chapter. If you would like I could definitely add one in the story! In fact, I can picture it already! :D

 **FireShifter:** Thank you for another kind review! :D

 **21jhauptman:** Omg haha you're right I never even noticed that!

 **Humbleblossom:** Yes, little do they know haha! Thank you :)

 **Lunahartz:** Oh I was 14 when I posted my first story! (It was terrible.) And oh I loved that book haha! I never really pay attention to authors I just read the books lol.

 **AsunaLucy:** I like the username! And thank you so much! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Yes, instead of crazy I went for the denial approach! And Gajeel is way more believing than Natsu! (Even in the manga he is haha.) Like he's always believed the whole soulmate thing, he just didn't think he would have one because he was undeserving! :)

 **Alexa60765:** I can tell you love drama in stories haha! And thank you! :D

 **AnnaYasashii:** Haha and it's all because he wants Levy to be happy. :')

 **Illusions From Ink:** Yep, it makes perfect sense, Lucy! Haha!

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Hahaha nope, no anger or anything like that! :D And eventually! ;D (But not for a while lmao.)

 **MirrorFlame:** Thank goodness! :D

 **FanfictionFreak:** Thank you so much haha! :D Means a lot!

 **CelestialDragon14:** Yes she is! She is a hypocrite in denial! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Prepare for some drama, but not with the people you all expected! :D It had to be done... AND WOW WTF ALREADY OVER 100 REVIEWS HOW AWESOME! THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! Let's make a game out of this. Whoever is the 150th reviewer can give me an idea of a oneshot and I will write it! Whatever they want! :D THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE REVIEWS.

Chapter 9

Lucy stared at herself in the mirror and was shocked to find that her cheeks were painted a deep shade of pink. It had almost been an hour since she left Fairy Tail and she was still flushed talking to Hibiki. The blonde swooned recalling their lovely conversation. Hibiki was everything she ever wanted in a guy: he was funny, charming, intelligent, and incredibly handsome. There was no reason why her heart shouldn't be thumping rapidly in her chest like it was.

Just as she was about to lay down in bed, the girl's phone vibrated loudly on her nightstand as it was time for her nightly call with Natsu.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lucy perkily greeted.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu replied. "Ready for my newest story? It's about when I first kicked Gray's ass!"

The blonde giggled and got herself situated in bed. "You do know that Gray is my friend, right?"

"I don't know why! He's a stripper!"

"Well from the way your stories have been going every night, it sounds to me like you're a pyro. So which ones actually worse?"

"Stripping."

"If you say so," Lucy said, giggling once again. Her conversations with Natsu were always carefree and down to earth. But rather than hearing an exaggerated story about his fight with Gray, there was something she wanted to talk about more. "So, do you have any classes with Hibiki?"

There was a brief moment of silence, causing Lucy to wonder if Natsu forget he was talking to her… _again._ Finally, he spoke.

"Yeah, why?" he asked. His voice was void of its usual eager tone and was replaced with boredom.

"B-Because, I think he could be you know… my soulmate!" Lucy answered, the last words coming out as a shrill squeal. "Think about it, Natsu! He's smart, nice, and handsome, he's the whole package!"

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"Because you're supposed to be my best friend, duh. You have to keep watch for me! See if he is a good guy or if he starts liking someone or something."

"I don't know, Luce… I think he's a womanizer like Loke."

The blonde scoffed, "That's not possible. Believe me, I know when guys are just big flirts! So can you please help me with this? Talk to him about me and make him think I'm an amazing girl that he should get to know!"

"But you're a weirdo, I can't lie like that," Natsu teased. Lucy could just imagine his smirk over the phone.

"Shut it, Dragneel! You better help me with this or else I'm never making you dinner ever again!"

Natsu shuttered at the thought of having to go back to his lifestyle before he met Lucy. All he ever ate then was top ramen, he wouldn't be surprised if he was developing heart disease from all of the sodium. Just the thought of losing his personal chef sent a shiver down his spine.

"Alright, alright. I'll help you stalk your boyfriend," he said.

"It's not stalking! Make sure you brag about me tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Lucy smiled and jumbled herself into her poofy blankets. "Alright, _now_ you can tell me about how you beat Gray up."

"Nice! I'm all fired up!"

* * *

"Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted as the blonde walked in the classroom. She was always the last one to arrive. "Are you ready to see your boyfriend after school?"

"B-Boyfriend!?" Lucy sputtered, her face gaining heat. "If you're talking about Natsu again-"

"I wasn't," the petite girl interrupted, wiggling her eyebrows and suppressing a snicker. "I was actually talking about Hibiki, but it's interesting that Natsu was the first boy you thought of when I said that. After everything you told us with your tattoos and all, it's no surprise!"

"S-Shut up. Hibiki isn't my boyfriend either."

"But you want him to be."

"Juvia thinks so too!" the other blunette added. "Lucy gets flustered around Hibiki!"

"I do not!" the blonde protested. After seeing her two friends stare at her disbelievingly, she sighed. "Okay fine, I do! Can you blame me though? He's gorgeous, smart, nice, gorgeous… Did I mention gorgeous?"

The two other girls laughed and nodded their heads. They were going to nag their friend more when their teacher entered the room, signaling the start of class. Levy however couldn't remove her gaze from her bubbly blonde friend. It was just too suspicious that she thought of Natsu, even though Lucy probably didn't think so herself.

" _Alright, sorry Hibiki! But now I'm rooting for Natsu again and it's time to resume Gajeel's plan!"_

* * *

"Oi, Natsu," Gray began as the two of them walked towards lunch. "How do you feel about that Hibiki guy?"

The pink-headed boy shrugged and clasped his hands behind his head. "I don't know. Shouldn't I be asking you that since you're the one that got in a fight with him?"

Gray mirrored Natsu's movements and replied, "Ehh, I guess I got over it. He apologized and I guess Lisanna was right. He's not a bad guy like I thought. But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You were glaring at him the entire time yesterday!"

Natsu scoffed and argued, "No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were," Gajeel chimed in after seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "And it's because he was flirting with Bunny Girl."

Natsu punched the scruffy teen harshly on his arm and led the way to their lunch table where Erza and the others were already waiting. Sitting down, he repeated, "No I wasn't. I don't care what he does with Lucy as long as he doesn't hurt her."

"So you're fine with Lucy and Hibiki dating? Because that's where it looks like it's headed," Gray said, taking his spot to the left of his friend.

"For the last time, no I don't care. I already told her I don't want a relationship or anything like that anyways."

"YOU DID _WHAT!?"_ Lisanna, Cana, and Erza screeched at the top of their lungs, causing the boys at the table- Jellal included- to cover their ears with their hands in hopes of saving their ability to hear.

Once Natsu deemed it safe to do so, he removed his hands and stared incredulously at the girls. "Is something wrong with that?"

"What made you do it in the first place!?" Lisanna questioned, pushing Gray out of his chair so she could sit beside the pinkette. "Did she ask you out or something!?"

"No, no! Nothing like that!" the boy replied, waving his hands frantically in the air. "Oh yeah, I never told you guys huh? Lucy and I have the same tattoos."

There was a brief moment of silence. Then another.

"You're kidding right?" Cana asked. "Tell me you're kidding."

"Are you talking about the soulmate tattoos?" Lisanna inquired.

Natsu nodded and then went into a spiel of explaining what happened the fateful night Lucy discovered they sported matching tattoos. He explained that they decided that tattoos don't determine soulmates and that they were still going to be friends. He also explained that they thought the tattoos determined best friends instead of soulmates.

"There's no way you're Lucy's soulmate," Loke stated. "I've known Lucy since we were kids and you two would kill each other before ever going on a date."

Natsu glared at the orange-haired boy and replied, "Were you not listening? We already know we aren't soulmates. Besides, she's got a thing for Hibiki anyways."

Loke's brows furrowed and the corners of his lips tugged downwards into a frown. "I don't want her with him. I would much rather her be with you."

"Why? He reminds me of you," Cana said, taking a swig from her flask.

"He's not! I am much more handsome and charming than him! But anyways, I at least _know_ that I am more on the flirtatious side. Or at least was. After I met Aries- you know what, that isn't important. Anyways, that guy seems like the type of guy to play with a girl and lead her on and then ditch her after a while."

"Is that not what you do?"

"No! I never just leave out of the blue! And I make my intentions clear, which just makes the ladies want me even more! I think that guy-"

"You _think,_ " Erza interrupted. "You don't know that for sure. He could be a real nice guy."

"If you say so," Loke murmured.

* * *

Lucy released a heavy sigh of relief as the last bell of the day rang throughout the school, signaling the long day was finally over. The girl used to love school but now it felt like she was sitting through six hours of torture. Oh right, because that's pretty much what school is. Anyways, the blonde was more than joyful to finally be out of that horrid building and instead strolling the streets of Magnolia with two of her closest friends.

"Lucy seems to be happier than usual," Juvia stated, eyeing the said girl curiously.

"Is it about Hibiki again?" Levy questioned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. They had only met him yesterday and already the blonde couldn't shut up about him. It was definitely time to set her up with Natsu so her ears could finally relax from all the Hibiki-talk.

"O-Of course not!" Lucy fibbed. "I'm just excited to see our friends from Fairy Tail! You know, the usual!"

"Then why are you wearing makeup today?"

"I-It's only a little eyeliner and mascara, nothing too fancy!"

The small blunette huffed and ran in front of the blonde, stopping her in her tracks. Placing her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at her friend, to which she responded by looking away.

"Admit it, Lu-chan! You want to impress Hibiki!" Levy exclaimed.

Lucy crossed her arms and scowled. "So what if I do? He could be the one!"

"Even if he is- which I don't think he is- you shouldn't go changing yourself for him!" Levy shot back. Juvia tried to step in between the two girls but it was futile.

"I'm not changing myself! Sheesh, Levy-chan! You act as if wearing makeup is the worst thing in the world!"

"It is if you're only doing it to impress some guy you just met! Changing yourself for a guy just makes you a dumb bimbo!"

"Well at least I'm not some know-it-all nerd!"

The two girls locked their hard gazes, Juvia frantically switching glances between both of her friends. It wasn't exactly a fight- scratch that, it was a fight. Their very first fight to be exact. One that Juvia was not in the mood to referee for.

"C-Can we all just go to Fairy Tail?" the blunette asked, taking hold of her friends' wrists.

"Fine," the two other girls huffed out, marching towards the pub. With that, neither of them said another word on the way.

* * *

"Yo, Luce! How was- whoa what's wrong with you?" Natsu asked. The blonde took her seat with a loud grumble and the table could practically feel the irritation oozing off of her.

"Drop it," she seethed, turning her attention on the plate of fettucini alfredo that was placed in front of her, courtesy of Mira.

"Oi, Shrimp-"

" _Do not call me that, Gajeel,"_ Levy grinded out, her words low and menacing. For such a petite girl, she sure held some scary anger inside of her.

The dark-haired boy raised in arms in surrender and stammered, "A-Alright."

Everyone at the table whipped their heads back and forth from the two girls, wondering what had both of them in such terrible moods. Were they fighting? Looking to Juvia for answers, the girl in turn shook her head and brought a finger to her lips, ushering them to keep quiet about it. She had been here through a few of the two girls' arguments and knew it was best to let them solve it on their own.

"Hi, Lucy," a gentle voice soothed from behind the blonde.

Lucy sported her harshest glare and was about to curse whoever was talking to her when she found Hibiki standing behind her with a gentle smile. Her anger was immediately forgotten as heat crept to her cheeks and a smile etched itself onto her lips.

"H-Hi, Hibiki," she replied shyly. She professionally battered her eyelashes, attempting to look as cute as possible.

Levy released an obviously fake cough as she choked out, "Try hard." She coughed once more.

Lucy plastered a calm, yet eerie smile to her face as she turned to face her friend. "What was that, Levy-chan? Are you sick? Because it sounds to me like you're coughing up a bunch of bullshit right now."

Levy mirrored her expression and replied, "Oh no, Lu-chan. I'm just allergic to girls that try too hard for other's approval."

The blonde's jaw dropped as Levy only continued to glare at her. Eyeing the plate of creamy pasta in front of her, a small smirk graced the girl's lips as she scooped some into her hand and chucked it at the unsuspecting blunette. Levy shrieked when the alfredo sauce glopped in her hair and noodles slid down her face. She definitely needed to shower after this. Fury swelled inside the petite girl as she snatched Cana's mug of whatever she was drinking and sloshed it on her friend's face.

"Ha! Take that Lu-" Levy was interrupted by a splash of ice water hitting her own face.

And just like that, an epic food fight was begun by the two girls, not even needing a declaration as they both hurled food and drinks that weren't theirs at each other. The rest of their group- along with Hibki- huddled behind a flipped over table, all of them sweat dropping.

"What the hell is happening?" Gray asked incredulously. "Aren't they best friends!?"

"Well, I'm Lucy's best friend," Natsu replied, but everyone ignored him as they focused on the two brawling girls.

"Juvia, explain this at once," Erza demanded. Her patience was dwindling by the second.

The said blunette shivered in fear and replied, "They are fighting over Hibiki-san."

"Me?" the light-haired boy questioned with an arched brow. "Why me?"

While Juvia didn't want to reveal information about her two closest friends, she also didn't want to die by Erza's curious hand. Thus, after taking a deep breath, she answered, "Levy thinks Hibiki-san is changing Lucy. Lucy thinks Levy is overreacting. Now they are fighting."

"I'm changing her?"

Juvia nodded and said, "Lucy likes Hibiki-san and started wearing makeup to impress him and Levy doesn't like that."

"Way to go," Gajeel huffed, jabbing the light-haired boy in the ribs. "Now my girl is mad."

"S-Sorry…"

Everyone hushed as they found that there was no more shouting and they could no longer hear food being thrown. Peeping over the table, they found the two girls staring at each other with hard gazes. Food was lying everywhere, Mira standing in the corner, obviously feigning a cheery attitude despite the fact that she would be forced to clean it all up. They could see tears brimming the two girl's eyes, wondering why they were both so angry. Even Juvia's explanation didn't explain their malice towards each other. The two girls were usually kind and forgiving, there had to be an explanation for this.

Natsu frowned at the sight of Lucy's tears, his eyebrows furrowed and his hands forming tight fists. He wasn't mad at Levy at all, in fact he found himself agreeing with her. He didn't like the thought of his bet friend changing herself for some boy she just met. But the sight of his best friend crying infuriated him. He wanted to cheer her up. So he stood up and opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted.

"L-Lucy," Hibiki began, slowly coming out from the table. "How about you and I get out of here?"

The blonde stared at him with wonder. "Y-You actually want to hang out with me after witnessing all of this?"

The boy chuckled and replied, "I do. Now, let's go."

Natsu was going to protest, but seeing Lucy blink away her tears and smile at the other boy, he knew it wasn't his place. Sure, he wanted to be the one to cheer the blonde up, but it didn't really matter as long as she was okay. Well, that's what he tried to convince himself, but watching Hibiki grab Lucy's hand and lead her out of the pub, a feeling of anger swirled inside of him, mixed in with something else. The boy knew everyone else around him thought of him as dense or dumb, but he knew what this feeling was. He was jealous. If only he knew why.

 **AN:** Yay for drama and food fights! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** Well now you know! :D And now you're left to wonder again! :D

 **Snavej:** And now Natsu is even more jealous! :D

 **Guest:** If you're talking about Hibiki succeeding to get into Lucy's pants, I can guarantee that won't happen haha. But he is going to be an important character from now on, just a heads up. And wow, you don't like Loke!? D: I love him, he's one of my favorite celestial spirits! But hey, everyone has their own opinions. :)

 **Lunahartz:** Oh then I guess it's smart if you don't post stories if you're so young! It just gives you more time to brainstorm ideas for awesome stories later in the future. :) And thank you so much! :D

 **FireShifter:** Yes they were! But it needs to happen! :)

 **XxTentenxX179:** More you shall have, I promise! :D

 **Rylee88:** Wow thank you so much! Means a lot to me! :)

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** IT'LL END EVENTUALLY. I PROMISE!

 **Brynn chan:** Hello again! :D Thank you for reviewing this story too! :)

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** I will definitely add a Jerza moment then. :) I added some to my other nalu story but for some reason I didn't write any for this one! I'll definitely add a cute one. :)

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** The Hibiki madness will end eventually... It'll take a while but it will! :D Thanks for another awesome review! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** This actually wasn't their plan, but it's working well to make him jealous huh? :D

 **MaidenAlice:** Truuuue! Now he has to watch her like someone else! But then again, Lucy wouldn't have given dating him an option either even if he wanted to, so it would've happened either way. But still! Yay jealous Natsu! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Good question! At first I made him an OC, and then I thought of Hibiki and I thought he would play a good role! Also, part of his past will play in this story, making it all come together so it needed to be him! :D

 **1-800fangirl:** Haha yes Natsu will want to kill him! And about Hibiki, thank you! :D I actually was going to put an OC but he fit perfectly and as I said in the last review, his past will be an important role in their relationship! And believe it or not, Hibiki won't be as much of a womanizer in this story as he is in the manga haha!

 **Grimnack:** I think you could cue the dramatic music for this chapter with the whole fight and Natsu's jealousy! So... dun dun DUUUUN!

 **Alexa60765:** Well here is some drama for you! :D And he's even more jealous in this chapter haha!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** He isn't retaliating because he doesn't wanna ruin his best friend's chances! D: But it'll all work out eventually!


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** I'm sure you all will love the ending of this chapter as much as I did. :) Please make my day and leave a nice review as always! :D

Chapter 10

Lucy sighed as she slouched into the booth. After her food fight with Levy, Hibiki insisted that they go out to eat. She only wished he would let her go home and shower first to cleanse herself of the alcohol and pasta. At least the noodles slid off during the walk. Now all that was left was the alcohol and the sauce. She wished again that she could have showered before coming.

Lucy was seated across Hibiki in the restaurant that she had went to on her date with Loke. It was a dimly lit building and the aromas that drifted from the kitchen enticed her nostrils. It was also relieving that the food was cheap even though it tasted amazing.

"Lucy, you there?" Hibiki asked, waving his hand in front of the distracted girl's face.

"H-Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Hibiki. I guess I'm just a little zoned out," the blonde replied. The truth was, even though she was sitting in front of her crush on what seemed like a date, she couldn't care less about it at the moment. All of her thoughts drifted towards her blue-headed friend.

"Let me guess, about Levy?"

Lucy nodded weakly. "She's one of my closest friends and this was our first fight. I'm scared that we aren't going to make up."

"Did you want to?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then there's nothing stopping you," Hibiki said, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "I can tell that you two are best friends and that this fight is just a little bump in the road. All you have to do is apologize and make amends."

"What if I don't want to apologize?" Lucy questioned stubbornly.

"Well then you would have let your pride come in the way of your friendship, and I highly doubt you want to do that."

The blonde nodded and smiled. "You're right. I'll apologize to her first thing tomorrow morning."

The boy returned the smile gracefully. "By the way, I don't want to sound intrusive, but can I ask what you girls were fighting about in the first place?"

Lucy crossed her arms and averted her gaze. She contemplated telling him about it and was hesitant considering it was indirectly because of him.

"It's because of me, right?" Hibiki asked.

Lucy knew then that there was no point hiding it, so she nodded her head in response.

Hibiki sighed and said, "Lucy, I like you. I do. But I don't want you changing anything about yourself for me. I have to side with your friend on this one. You just met me and already have me entranced with your beauty, changing yourself would only distract from that."

The girl flushed from head to toe. She had dealt with flirting from her potential grooms and even Loke, but none of them had the same effect on her as Hibiki did. Perhaps it was because she actually liked him. He had manners, a way with words, was handsome, and intelligent, everything she had ever wanted in her soulmate. He was her prince.

"Thank you," she finally murmured.

Hibiki chuckled and placed his hand on top of hers. "Lucy, I would like to get to know you, if you give me the chance. Would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?"

A slight gasp escaped Lucy's lips as she locked gazes with the boy in front of her. "Really? I-I mean, sure! That sounds fun."

Lucy shared a warm smile with the boy and drowned in his dark orbs. This was it. She found her soulmate.

* * *

"Why don't you just call her?"

"Because she's being stupid!"

"Well, you sorta are too… Ouch! What the hell was that for!?"

"For being a jerk! Now go away, Gajeel!"

"This is _my_ apartment!"

Levy sat on the cold, metallic couch- which for some reason was stripped of its cushions. It wasn't comfortable in the slightest but she didn't notice. Instead she was still too enraged due to a certain blonde friend of hers. Her arms were crossed, her nails digging into her biceps as she squeezed them. She had just gotten into her first fight with her best friend and it certainly was not making her happy.

"Just call her and apologize," Gajeel said. He took the girl's cellphone, pried her arm away from her, and slid it into her palm.

"Why should I apologize?" Levy asked incredulously. "She's the one that threw food at me first!"

"She did that because you were making fun of her in front of Pretty Boy."

"Are you taking her side!?"

Gajeel groaned and ran his hand down the side of his face. Girls were confusing and complicated. Cheering them up was even worse. The boy had no idea what he was doing and found his patience dwindling by the second. Whenever he had gotten into a fight with Natsu or any of the other boys, they fought with their fists- _not_ food- and then forgot all about it. Girls on the other hand tended to stay mad and hold grudges, something that he wasn't sure how to help with.

"I just think that you overreacted," Gajeel finally answered. He gently grabbed the girl's wrist after seeing she was getting up to leave and held her in her place. "Tell me this, why exactly is it a big deal for Bunny Girl to wear makeup?"

"Because she never does!" Levy shouted. "She's changing herself for a boy!"

"And? Are you telling me that you act the same way you do around me that you do with Lucy?"

"Of course I do-"

"No you don't. Look, you said it yourself. This is Bunny Girl's first try at this sort of stuff. She's probably just nervous, and if putting on makeup makes her feel more comfortable and confident, what does it matter?"

"Well-"

"Levy, what difference is there with her old man controlling _who_ she dates and you controlling _how_ she dates? You're both overstepping your boundaries."

Levy slouched further onto the uncomfortable couch. Her butt was starting to throb painfully with how hard the piece of furniture was. Gajeel was right. No matter how much she hated to admit being wrong for once, she was. She had to make sure this was a onetime thing.

"You're right," the petite girl muttered. "I'm just being controlling."

"So you're going to apologize?" Gajeel questioned, feeling much more relieved that this dreaded situation was finally going to come to an end.

Levy nodded. "Yeah, I'll apologize tomorrow morning. Thanks, Gajeel… You're a good friend…"

The boy smirked and leaned closer to the girl, relishing in the sight of a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Just a friend? When are you going to say it?"

"F-Fine, boyfriend."

"That's better."

* * *

Lucy stopped just outside of her apartment, Hibiki stopping as well. She unlocked the door and shyly turned around to face the boy that had escorted her home. They both shared a lovely night together. After finishing their meals at the restaurant Natsu worked in, they strolled through the park and gazed at the stars. The blonde knew she would be swooning over him the rest of the night and that she would lose sleep over it, but she didn't care. She was convinced her soulmate was standing in front of her. Nothing else mattered then.

"I-I guess I should get going now," Lucy finally said. While she knew that she was head over heels for Hibiki, she wasn't fond of the idea of letting him into her home so soon.

"That sounds wise," Hibiki replied. "But first…"

The light-haired boy stepped forward, then stepped forward once more. He was mere inches away from the girl. It was then that Lucy noticed just how much taller he was than her. Then, he began to lean towards her, his bangs falling forward and his lips slightly puckering. Lucy knew what he was going to do and braced herself. It was going to be her first kiss, it had to be perfect. But just as he was only millimeters away from pressing his lips on hers, the blonde threw her arms around his neck and hugged him instead.

"T-Thanks for tonight!" she exclaimed before entering the apartment and practically slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't spare the boy another glance.

" _Oh Mavis, what did I do?"_

* * *

Natsu ran through the streets of Magnolia, ushering half-assed apologies to those he knocked over that were in the way. His legs guided him in the familiar direction. Wind rushed through his pink locks and his breaths turned to pants. Finally his destination was in view. With a last burst of energy, the boy thrust himself up the flight of stairs and threw open the door, revealing the blonde that he had been worried about sitting at her dining table, her head buried in her arms.

"What's wrong, Lucy!?" Natsu asked as he rushed to her side. It had only been a mere thirteen minutes since he received a frantic text urging him to rush over saying it was an emergency. Lifting the girl's head to meet her gaze, his frown deepened when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks, which were blotchy and red. "What did he do?" he seethed.

"W-Who?" Lucy questioned with an arched brow.

"Hibiki! What did he do to you!?"

The blonde groaned and returned her head to her arms. "He didn't do anything!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled.

"Luce, look at me!" Natsu said, bringing her head up once again. "Why are you crying?"

Lucy forced herself to meet her friend's eyes and answered, "I messed up, Natsu-"

"Oh you mean with Levy? Yeah, but you guys will make up soon."

"I didn't mean that. But good to know you took her side too. Anyways, I was talking about with Hibiki." The blonde's voice cracked at the mention of her crush.

"What do you mean?"

Pink dusted the girl's cheeks as she recalled her previous embarrassment. How would Natsu react to the story? Would he ridicule her for having never been kissed? With a deep breath, she began to speak.

"After Hibiki and I went on a date, he tried to kiss me outside of the apartment," she said.

Natsu ignored the jealousy and rage he felt brewing in his gut and asked, "What happened next?"

"I hugged him! I freaking hugged him! How embarrassing is that!? All because I was too scared of having my first kiss! I don't have any experience with that and I didn't want to mess up, I still don't! I want my first kiss with him to be good because I don't want him to stop talking to me if I suck-"

"Wait, _that's_ what the emergency is?" Natsu asked incredulously, narrowing his eyes. "You're telling me that I sprinted here worried for _this?_ Lucy, this isn't an emergency. You're overthinking things."

"You don't understand! You don't want a relationship or anything so you don't know what it's like to be scared of sucking for your first kiss!"

"You're right, I don't. But I do know that the guy wouldn't dump you or anything over that. And if he does, he's nothing but a jerk and I'll kick his ass for you."

Lucy giggled and brushed away the tears on her face. "Thanks, Natsu. But you still don't get it."

Natsu glared at the girl. "Get what?"

"How scary it is! It means a lot and I want to be good but I've never kissed anyone and-"

Lucy was interrupted at the sudden warmth that graced her lips as Natsu crashed his own upon hers. She didn't move a muscle, tensing at the sudden contact. Was this actually happening? Was _Natsu_ of all people actually kissing her? Blinking once, then twice, she saw that it was indeed reality. The kiss itself was innocent and sloppy. Neither moved their lips nor opened their mouths, their lips were simply glued to each other awkwardly. However, though the kiss itself wasn't all too great, the feeling that erupted in the blonde's stomach was. It was like a volcano erupted with hot lava, followed by swarms of butterflies. It ended much too quickly for her liking when Natsu finally pulled away, his cheeks along with hers blushing.

"Told you it's no big deal," he said, his voice hushed. Though his face betrayed his words. His cheeks were stained pink and his eyelids were heavy. Inside of him was a lit fire, a feeling that he found himself enjoying.

"N-Natsu," Lucy released breathily. Then realization dawned on her and her eyes widened as she broke out of the spell she was under. She and Natsu kissed when she was trying to get with another boy. "Natsu, why the hell did you kiss me!?"

The boy covered his ears and answered, "Sheesh, Luce! Stop yelling at me! I did it so you could stop worrying about it since apparently it's such an emergency!"

"W-Well yeah, but I'm going to be with Hibiki!"

"So?"

"So you made me a _cheater!"_

Natsu sighed and argued, "No I didn't. You two aren't together yet, right? There you go."

Lucy smacked him upside the head and replied, "It's not that simple, idiot!" Seeing her friend's face, she knew that no matter what she said wouldn't change how she thought. "J-Just don't tell Hibiki what happened, alright?"

"Don't need you telling me that. Not like I'm friends with the guy or anything."

There was a moment of awkward silence, Natsu uncaring and Lucy fidgeting in her seat.

"…Was it good?" the girl finally asked. Her cheeks regained warmth and she glued her gaze to the table.

"The kiss?" Natsu questioned, noticing her shy expression.

"Yes…"

The boy smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair. "I don't really have anything to compare it to so I'm not much help."

"C-Can you try?"

Crossing his arms behind his head, he leaned back and thought about their brief contact. He felt the familiar warmth rising in his stomach and cheeks but ignored them in order to help his friend.

"I-I guess it would've been better if you kissed back," Natsu finally said.

Lucy groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I'm hopeless! I'm going to die alone now!"

The pinkette chuckled and pried her hands from her face and stared into her brown eyes. For a second, he completely forgot what he was going to say, too enticed by the richness in her eyes. Shaking his head, he released himself from his trance and spoke.

"Look, you aren't going to die alone, Lucy. Stop stressing so much about it!" he said with a reassuring smile. "…If you want, we can try again?"

Lucy whipped her head to meet her friend's gaze. Her mouth was hung on its hinges and her eyes were bulging from their sockets. "R-Really? You would do that for me?"

Natsu shrugged and replied, "I don't see why not. Not like kissing hurt anyone. And if it gets you to stop worrying, then I'll do it!"

Lucy smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks, Natsu. So… Can we try again?"

The boy nodded, cursing himself mentally due to how joyed he felt when she said she wanted to retry. He could feel himself blushing but focused on the girl in front of him. Her body had the same reactions, though her eyes slowly drooped closed and she puckered her lips. Natsu gulped and braced himself, mirroring her actions. It was now or never.

Finally, his lips met hers softly, again not doing anything. Luckily, he felt Lucy mold her lips with his. He suppressed a moan as he felt Lucy's lips open just a bit. He allowed his mouth to open as well and found himself sucking on her bottom lip. Instinct took over and he nibbled lightly, enjoying the plumpness of her lips and the sweet taste of the girl.

Lucy was shy at first, but she soon learned the hang of it. Her lips moved on their own as she sucked gently on Natsu's top lip. It was soft like a feather, their kiss pure and sweet. He tasted spicy, probably with all the spicy food he ate, but she didn't mind. Instead, she found herself sucking harder, enjoying it. Soon, their kissed morphed of one of lightness to one more rough. They pushed against each other, trying to go deeper. The blonde squeaked when she felt Natsu's tongue graze her lips, but mustered her courage and allowed it entry into her mouth. There, she allowed her own tongue to dance with his, quickly becoming used to the feeling and enjoying it.

Breaking away from the kiss, the two panted and recollected themselves. Their faces were flushed and they couldn't break their gazes from each other. While their first kiss wasn't too pleasant, this one sent them to whole other worlds.

"W-What about that one?" Lucy finally questioned in a hushed tone. She was still panting, part of her wanting to kiss again.

"T-That one was better," Natsu answered. He stared at the girl and was proud seeing her bottom lip swollen a bit. He wanted to pat himself on the back at the sight of her blushing cheeks. It took all he had not to pounce on her again.

"Really?"

"Really."

Lucy smiled brightly and hugged the boy. "Thank you so much, Natsu. Now I'm not scared!"

That was when Natsu remembered why he kissed her in the first place. He was training her for Hibiki. All previous happiness and pride was instantly replaced with anger and jealousy knowing that soon another boy would experience what he just had. He found that he didn't want anyone else to experience Lucy's lips, he wanted them all to himself. He wanted _her_ all to himself.

After the two talked for a bit, Lucy excused herself to get ready for bed, Natsu situating himself on her couch. Once she came back, she was adorned in silk shorts and a tank-top.

Lucy smiled at him and said, "Well, I think it's time for bed now, Natsu."

Natsu nodded and walked past her towards her bedroom. "Yeah, I'm tired."

"Where are you going?" Lucy inquired once she saw him opening her bedroom door.

He turned back and answered, "Your room. I'm staying the night." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can't sleep here, Natsu! How many times do I have to tell you, you can't sleep in my bed with me!"

"Sheesh, then I'll sleep on the floor."

"You can't do that either! You can't sleep in here at all!"

Natsu frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why? I do it all the time."

Lucy sighed seeing as how he was right. The night after he came over to her apartment for the first time, he had snuck in through her window and slept beside her in her bed. When she awoke the following morning, she practically had a heart attack and beat the ever-living snot out of him. Much to her chagrin, he never learned and always snuck in through her window after their late night phone calls.

"Look Natsu," the blonde began, "you can't sleep here anymore because I'm going to try to have a relationship with Hibiki now."

"So?" the pink-haired boy questioned obliviously.

"So it would be wrong of you to sleep here."

"Wrong? We just _kissed,_ Luce."

"I-I know, but that was before Hibiki and I started dating! We're going to start dating soon, I can feel it!"

"Well, you aren't dating now. And I helped you, remember? I ran throughout town for you, you can't possibly kick me out now," Natsu said with a smirk.

Lucy crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue. "Fine. You can sleep here tonight. But once Hibiki and I start dating you aren't allowed to sneak in here anymore, got it?"

"Got it!" Natsu exclaimed, jumping into the bed. He removed his coat and slid under the covers happily.

Lucy sighed seeing him shirtless but got into bed anyways. She had long gotten used to him sleeping shirtless in her bed, no matter how weird that sounded. She slid under the covers and faced the opposite direction of her friend, her eyelids drooping closed and slumber started to take over her.

"Night, Natsu," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Luce," he replied.

Lucy quickly doze off to sleep, though not before feeling Natsu's warm arm drape around her waist and his body pushing against her back to cuddle.

Once Natsu knew that the girl was asleep, he released a heavy sigh. No matter how badly he wanted to deny it, he knew that their kisses meant something, at least to him. His jealousy spiked and he finally knew why. It was because he didn't want to share Lucy. He wanted her all for himself. And finally, the reason why became clear. He was falling for her. Thinking of her happiness with Hibiki, he frowned. He knew he couldn't act on these feelings anymore, their friendship was just far too important to risk it. If she was happy with Hibiki, then he would be happy as well. Or so he hoped.

 **AN:** You can all thank me in the reviews! Now do you see why Hibiki is imperative to the story? :D He made Natsu find out how he felt about Lucy and now they shared their first kiss. :') Much more to come!

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU SO MUCH I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED!

 **1-800fangirl:** Yes! And now he understands why he's jealous! :D And thank you very much! His backstory will play a part in the story! And I can only imagine your inner fangirl cringing with how much they communicated this chapter too haha! Just a heads up, it will get worse lol. And yes! I've never read a fanfic with the two fighting and while I wanted to cry writing it, I loved it! I thought it spiced up their friendship haha! Thanks again! :)

 **Grimnack:** Haha yes it was deserving of dramatic music! And well, he did something! Just isn't going to stop their relationship. Tsk tsk.

 **Snavej:** I know. I wanted to erase the fight and start over but it had to be done.

 **Shunakoo25:** I know, poor Mira having to clean it up hahaha! And yes Natsu is really jealous! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I KNOW A FIGHT WITH LUCY AND LEVY IS HEARTBREAKING BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE.

 **BloodRedRubies:** Thank you so much! :D I'm glad the story is progressing nicely! And ooh, I like that quote! I remember seeing that one too! I'm not entirely sure if I agree with it, but it's fun to think about. :) And Mira is too nice to do that haha!

 **Humbleblossom:** Don't worry, they'll makeup soon! And as you can see, there was a _lot_ to be happy for in this chapter haha! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh, well then RIP Hibiki. All because you got in the way of Nalu.

 **Brynn chan:** Whaat!? We have a hilu shipper here! How dare you! Haha just kidding! :) Hilu will happen for a bit, then Nalu will prevail! :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** No problem! :D It'll be a while before the Jerza moment, I already know where I'm going to add it! But it will come eventually! :) And I know, Levy was ruthless haha!

 **21jhauptman:** You get a couple Nalu kisses, I hope that'll be enough for now! :D

 **Guest:** Oooh, good guess! You'll just have to see! :D

 **Rylee88:** Thank you so much! I agree, all friends fight, so I needed to write one between them! And now he knows why he's jealous too! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** AT LEAST NATSU ISN'T DENSE ANYMORE! :D

 **Zexallforever39:** If you're talking about Gajeel and Levy's plan, they will continue it! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Aww school started for you already? That must suck! I don't start until the 19th! :D And it seems everyone was getting impatient for nalu, luckily the ending was jam-packed with it! :D


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** I'm not a big fan of this chapter or the next, but after that is when it gets going so be patient with me haha!

Chapter 11

Lucy groaned as her alarm clock repeated its annoying beeping. Rolling over, the girl found that Natsu wasn't there, which was no surprise. He was always gone before she woke up after their sleepovers, probably due to the fact that his school started before hers. Memories of their kisses flashed through her mind, causing the blonde to blush deeply. Shaking her head, she rid herself of her oncoming thoughts and focused on getting ready.

Lucy walked into her classroom with her head held high. That is, until she noticed Levy sitting in her seat. The blonde's stomach fell to the floor with every step, ready to make amends for her behavior the previous day. Once Levy heard her approaching, she whipped her head to meet her gaze. Both girls' eyes widened and there was a long, drawn out moment of awkward silence as Juvia discreetly watched from her seat in front of them.

"I'M SO SORRY!" both girls cried out in unison.

"What are you apologizing for?" Lucy questioned, pulling her desk close to her friend's. "It was all my fault! You were right, I was being stupid for changing myself for some guy I just met! Hibiki and Natsu made sure I understood that. And you were right, Hibiki wants me to be myself anyways! And I shouldn't have thrown food at you! This was all my fault!"

Levy frantically shook her head back and forth and replied, "No it isn't, Lu-chan! Gajeel made me realize that I was wrong! I was being intrusive to you and your relationships! If wearing makeup makes you feel more comfortable around Hibiki, then go for it! I shouldn't be so nosy and controlling!"

Both girls smiled widely and stood from their seats in order to hug each other. It was a back-breaking hug, but neither of them minded. Instead, they were just glad that things were finally right between them. It was their first fight and they definitely did not want a repeat of it. Things were finally right in the world.

"Juvia is glad you both are friends again!" the blunette cried, wrapping her arms around the two girls to join the hug. "Juvia was so worried!"

"Lu-chan and I never have and never will stop being friends!" Levy replied. "Just like how we would never stop being friends with you!"

"Exactly!" Lucy agreed.

The three girls giggled until they heard their teacher clearing their throat, beginning class. They all broke away from the group hug and awkwardly chuckled noticing how the entire class was staring at them.

Once lunch began, the trio of girls made their signature formation with their desks and commenced their traditional gossip.

"So, tell me about you and Gajeel!" Lucy demanded, nudging her petite friend. "I know that there's more going on there than you let on!"

"T-There isn't!" Levy denied. "And what about you and Natsu, huh?"

At the mention of her pink-headed friend, Lucy's entire body flushed as she averted her gaze. She willed herself to say something, to deny her friend's accusations, but just couldn't.

"Wait a sec," Levy began, eyeing her blonde friend with narrowed eyes, "you usually deny things when I bring Natsu up. Something happened between you two!"

"Juvia agrees!" the girl cried out, staring at Lucy with wonder. "Tell us what happened!"

Lucy hid her face with her hands and lied, "Nothing happened!"

"Yes it did! You said earlier that Natsu agreed with me, meaning that you two must've seen each other yesterday! Something happened yesterday!" Levy countered.

"Damn you for being so smart! Just drop it!"

"Nope! You gotta tell us everything!"

"Juvia agrees!"

"Ugh!" Lucy groaned. "Fine! But if you two tell _anyone,_ I will kill you! Meaning _you_ can't tell Gray and _you_ can't tell Gajeel. And you can't say anything until I'm done. Got it?"

"Got it!" the two other girls exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in their seats.

Lucy sighed and took a deep breath. She then went into a rushed spiel, explaining the event that transpired the prior night- of course, she kept out the fact that Natsu spent the night, which was something that they kept between them. She went on about how worried she was to kiss Hibiki and how Natsu suddenly kissed her to prove that it wasn't a big deal. She nearly died of embarrassment when she explained that they kissed again because _she_ asked for it.

"Lu-chan…" Levy began, her eyes bulging from their sockets. "Are you sure that you don't like Natsu?"

The blonde scoffed and answered, "I'm positive. It was just a friendly kiss because he wanted to make me feel better. It was for us both to gain some experience!"

"Friends don't just kiss, Lu-chan."

"Can Juvia say something?" the blunette questioned. Seeing Lucy nod her head, she took in a deep breath and continued, "Juvia thinks that you and Natsu are soulmates. Juvia has thought so since we met them. Juvia saw you two talking to each other and he was trying to cheer you up even though he didn't know you."

"That doesn't mean anything," Lucy argued.

Juvia frowned and replied, "But you two have matching tattoos. Juvia knows that you take them seriously, even though you are in denial at the moment. Juvia also sees the way Natsu looks at you when you aren't looking. It's the way Juvia looks at Gray-sama."

Lucy smiled gently at her friend and persisted, "Thank you for saying that, Juvia. But Natsu and I aren't soulmates, we're best friends. We both decided that when we talked about our tattoos."

Levy and Juvia shared a quick, knowing gaze. Their blonde friend was just too stubborn and too in denial to realize the plain truth. The truth that almost everyone could see. After all, the tattoos never lie. Levy fidgeted in her seat, fumbling with the hem of her skirt. Since Lucy was so honest, she knew she had to be as well.

"GAJEEL AND I ARE DATING!" the blunette exclaimed, burying her blazing face in her hands.

"Wait, officially?" Lucy questioned, a bright smile gracing her lips.

Levy nodded, prompting the other two girls to hug and laugh. Finally another one of the three musketeers was in a relationship, and soon enough the last one would be too. All three girls were finding boys that made their hearts leap and all of them were finding happiness.

* * *

As the trio of girls entered Fairy Tail later that day, the whole building erupted with cheers.

"Do they know that you and Gajeel are dating?" Lucy whispered to Levy, who in turn shook her head. Why was everyone so happy?

"I don't think so," she replied.

"You two made up!" Mira exclaimed as she skipped towards the girls. "Yesterday was so chaotic and I was afraid you two would still be mad at each other!" A dark glint appeared in her eyes, one that was more terrifying than Erza's. "By the way, if you two ever make a mess like that again, I will force you to clean it up with your _tongues._ Anyways, good to see you girls!"

The three girls shivered as Mira happily waltzed back to the counter. None of them imagined anyone scarier than Erza having a bad day, and they now knew that they existed deep inside Mira. To think that they almost had to deal with her wrath chilled them to the core. With one last shudder, they finally made their way back to the table and into their respective seats.

"You guys finally learned about Mira's evil side, huh?" Gray asked with a smirk.

"I-It was terrifying," Levy said.

"Juvia thought she would never see her lovely Gray-sama again even though Juvia did nothing wrong," the other blunette added.

"She said she would make us clean up with our _tongues_ next time," Lucy chimed in.

The table burst into a fit of laughter at the three girls' misery, wiping tears from their eyes when it got too funny.

"You know she meant it, right?" Gajeel asked patting his secret girlfriend on her back.

"Don't remind me," Levy replied.

Lucy suppressed a giggle watching the secret couple interact before realizing that her own soulmate was missing. Glancing around the big pub, she was unable to find a head of light hair and luscious dark eyelashes. The corner of her lips tugged downwards into a frown as the girl propped elbow on the table and leaned her head onto her hand. And just like that, the universe began to use its magic.

"Hello, my love," a familiar voice sounded to her left.

Lucy grinned as she turned to find Hibiki standing beside her with a single rose in his hand. He held it out to her, to which she gratefully accepted, her cheeks pink and her heart thumping rapidly.

"Hello," she greeted.

Hibiki smiled as he pulled a chair between her and Loke- who scowled at the boy but kept his mouth shut. "Do you like the rose? Its beauty doesn't compare to yours, but it was a close second."

The blonde giggled behind her hand, not noticing that everyone else at the table was resisting the urge to hurl. "I do, it's lovely. Thank you."

"Luce's favorite color is pink though," Natsu chimed in, not realizing how unwelcomed he was to the conversation. "You should've gotten her a pink rose."

"N-Natsu," Lucy hissed. "It's great, Hibiki. Really, I mean it."

Hibiki frowned, but quickly recovered as he smiled at the girl once again. "There is quite a bit that I don't know about you, but I would like to learn. How about we give it a shot, huh? As a couple. An extremely attractive couple."

Levy choked on the bag of potato chips she was munching on; Erza's hand froze midway to her mouth as she was going to insert a bite of strawberry shortcake into her mouth; Gray, Loke, and Gajeel scowled; Jellal remained impassive; and Lisanna and Cana smiled and held back cheers for their friend. Natsu on the other hand was a blank canvas, devoid of any emotions. That is until he saw Hibiki grab Lucy's hand and place a chaste kiss upon it. A low growl escaped his lips and he gripped the edge of the table, threatening to flip it over given the chance. He wanted to pounce, he really did, but the look of happiness that was on his best friend's face told him not to. He reminded himself that if she was happy, he would be too and that his feelings were irrelevant at that point. He had to share. And it was killing him.

"T-That sounds nice," Lucy finally said, unknowing of the inner turmoil that was occurring within her best friend. She tried to keep it cool but the inside of her mind was screaming, " _Yes! I finally got a boyfriend! And he's hot! And he's my soulmate! You did it, Lucy!"_

"Good," Hibiki replied, keeping hold of her hand. "This is great!"

"Yeah, great," Loke grumbled, glaring at the other boy.

Lucy shot him a warning glance before turning her attention back towards her new boyfriend. This was it. She finally had a boyfriend, with the guy she deemed her soulmate. There should be swarms of butterflies flying throughout her body or fireworks dancing in her mind. But there wasn't. All in all, the girl didn't feel too different. Of course she was happy, and the familiar warmth of talking to her crush was coursing through her veins. But it wasn't at all how she expected it. To be completely honest, she felt bland.

" _Maybe it's just because I don't love him yet,"_ the blonde thought hopefully. " _When I start loving him I'll have all of those reactions I read about in books."_ Lucy's head then turned on its own and she found herself looking at Natsu. His face was scrunched up, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were in a grim line. He was angry, she knew that. But she didn't know why. _"Maybe when I fall in love with Hibiki, I'll get the feelings I did when I kissed Natsu."_

Shaking her head, the girl brought herself out of her thoughts and turned her attention back to her friends. Forcing a smile on her face, she joined the conversation easily in hopes that if she acted as happy she knew she should've felt, the happiness would come to her. All she could do at that point was hope things worked out. She convinced herself that they would, that she would be happy and fall in love with her new boyfriend. After all, Hibiki was her soulmate, right?

 **AN:** Slow chapter, I know. But it had to be done! I'm so glad you all enjoyed the ending of the last chapter haha! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** I know, it's so hard writing Hilu scenes because of how much I love Nalu but it had to be done. *sighs* And I think something quick and painless! :D

 **XxTentenxX179:** Oh, looks like the complete opposite is happening now that she's officially dating Hibiki! D: Give it time though, things will work out! :)

 **BloodRedRubies:** Oh I know, but at least the two made up! :D AND I KNOW THEY DID KISS AND IT WAS GREAT. And YES! Lucy is rushing things for two reasons: one, because she never had the chance to experience this sort of stuff and two, something that will be revealed later in the story. ;) And I know, the denial is strong in her haha!

 **Grimnack:** Oh, he let her get away. Darn. Don't worry though, all will be right in the world and Nalu will be restored soon! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Yes, I as well sense Nalu... Perhaps it was when they kissed!? :D

 **Brynn chan:** Nope I don't have school until the 22nd! :D Most colleges start later than high schools haha! And Natsu and the others go to the same public school! Lucy, Levy, and Juvia are the only ones that go to the all-girls private school! :)

 **MaidenAlice:** I know, I sort of just wrote it and thought, YES. Haha thanks for the review! :)

 **Craycraynalufan:** Boys sure are complicated haha!

 **1-800fangirl:** Haha thank you! :D I was looking for that exact reaction! :D And thank you! I'm actually worried that things from here on out are going to be rushed, but I planned for it to be more fast-paced than my other stories anyways haha. And ooh, I'm glad you can't figure it out! :D I will say this about it, his backstory itself isn't drastically important to the story itself, but will bring out a plot twist from Lucy! ;D

 **Lunahartz:** Sorry but Hibiki is here to stay for a while! :D He's gotta continue to make Natsu jealous haha! :D

 **Beautifullove521:** Thank you very much! :)

 **FireShifter:** I know, it'll take some time for Lucy to stop being in denial! And yes the girls did make up! :D

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU SO MUCH I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED AS MUCH AS I DID! :D

 **Guest:** Ooh, that's a good idea, but sadly I already have plans with Hibiki's soulmate haha! :) Thanks for the idea and the review though! :D

 **Alea:** She does need to realize it already! But it'll take a while tbh haha! Thanks for the review. :)

 **Humbleblossom:** Hahaha you're the only one that said they couldn't wait for Levy's reaction! When I was writing this chapter, I wasn't sure if I was going to have Lucy tell Levy and Juvia what happened but now I'm glad I did! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU SO MUCH GLAD YOU ENJOYED.

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Thank you so much! :D And I apologize, but you'll have to save killing Hibiki until I am done using him for my story haha!

 **Alexa60765:** Haha I'm glad you had a fangirl moment! :D It is what I am trying to get out of people with these stories haha!

 **Snavej:** Thank you I love Gale haha! :) And I know, Lucy is so in denial!

 **Fairy tail fan:** Thank you hahaha! :D Yep, Natsu is falling for Lucy! All that's left is for her to figure out her own!


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** HELLO. I'm sure you all wanted to read about Lucy and Hibiki's relationship, but here is a big time skip! And the reason for it is... IT'S SO HARD TO WRITE FOR A COUPLE YOU DON'T SHIP HAHA. Like, I just couldn't do it. I tried, I really did, but it was impossible. So I apologize if the time skip is unseemly but it what's done is done! Hope you enjoy anyways! :)

Chapter 12

Lucy woke up with a bright smile on her face, eager to begin the newest day in her life. Three months had passed since she started dating Hibiki, and in those three months she was happy. Truly happy. Hibiki was kind, showered her with gifts and affection, took her on dates, and he was a great listener. Yet, something inside her told her that their relationship was going slowly.

After all, during those three months, they hadn't kissed once. Sure, Hibiki would initiate it, but Lucy would only cower away and make a silly excuse. At first she feared that he would break up with her for it, but after the first two months passed, she realized he was kind and wasn't going to pressure her. So, she took her time, waiting for the right moment which had yet to come.

While her relationship was a bit complicated, her friendship with Natsu wasn't. Lucy was worried when she first agreed to date Hibiki. After all, Natsu wasn't one for boundaries. He always barged into her apartment without her knowing, sat closer than the rest, and always seemed to accidentally interrupt her dates with Hibiki. On her first date with Hibiki as a couple, she got a call from Natsu saying that it was an emergency and that she had to go home. When Lucy rushed home, she found him slouching on her couch, only to say that the emergency was that he was hungry and she needed to make him food. Needless to say, she beat him senseless that day but complied anyways.

Lucy would be lying if she said that she didn't think her relationship would affect her friendship with Natsu. Luckily, it didn't. They still hung out all the time and were just as inseparable as before, if not more- besides the fact that he never spent the night anymore. In fact, Natsu had made it routine for him to walk the girls to Fairy Tail every day after school. Their late night phone calls never stopped and their endless texting had yet to pause. She spent more time with Natsu than she ever did with Hibiki. Hell, Lucy even visited him on his breaks during work- she told herself it was for the free food, of course.

After throwing on her uniform as quickly as she could, Lucy strode into her kitchen and retrieved a banana for breakfast. The girl didn't have time for her usual waffle or bagel breakfast and was now rushing out the door to school. She was shocked to instead run into something firm outside her door. Looking up, she gasped at the sight of pink tufts of hair and a toothy grin.

"Natsu, what the hell are you doing here?" Lucy screeched, groaning after she realized she dropped her freshly peeled banana.

The boy grinned and answered, "Walking you to school, duh."

The blonde arched a brow. "Walking me to school? You never walk me to school. Wait, didn't school start a half hour ago for you? You're late! Erza is going to kill you!"

Natsu shrugged as he took the girl's book bag and led the way down the stairs. "Oh well. Erza can yell all she wants."

"Why are you walking me anyways?"

"Because I want to."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't!"

Natsu chuckled and ruffled the girl's golden locks. "It's just fun to annoy you."

Lucy pouted and swatted his hand away and replied, "You skipped first period to come annoy me? Really Natsu?"

"Is that bad?"

"Of course it's bad, idiot!"

Natsu shrugged again and said, "I'm coming over for dinner by the way."

"Can't. I don't have any food to feed you with. I haven't gone grocery shopping because my dad's check hasn't come in yet. Sheesh, I should get a job so that I don't have to starve waiting for my dad's money."

Natsu grinned widely as he exclaimed, "You can work with me! I'll ask Gramps to give you a job! You can be a waitress!"

"Your grandpa owns the restaurant you work in?"

"Nah, not my real one. I just call him that. Anyways, how does that sound!?"

Lucy pondered the thought. Working with her hyperactive and destructive best friend was sure to wreak havoc, but hey, she needed the money. Not to mention the fact that she was cute, she was sure to get some good tips if she used her womanly charms.

"I'm in!" the blonde exclaimed. "I mean, I go there on your breaks all the time, might as well make some money while I'm at it!"

The two shared a high five while Natsu shouted, "I'm all fired up!"

Surely working with him couldn't be that bad, right?

* * *

"Natsu, where the hell were you first period?" Erza questioned as the said boy approached their lunch table, Gajeel and Gray following.

Natsu gulped loudly at the menacing look in the girl's dark eyes and answered, "I-I was walking Lucy to school." He cursed himself for the high-pitched voice that escaped his mouth. "Blame Gajeel! He told me to! He told me that some guy was stalking Lucy so I walked her!"

"Was some guy stalking her?" Gray asked worriedly.

"I didn't see anyone."

"How would you know if somebody is stalking Lucy anyways?" Cana questioned Gajeel with an arched brow.

Gajeel sputtered as he lied, "S-Shrimp told me." When in reality…

 _Levy was seated on his couch, going over strategies to get the two dense idiots in their group to finally get together._

 _"Listen, Gajeel," the girl said, "now that Lu-chan is with Hibiki, we really need to set this plan into motion! I can tell that she's not truly happy, even if she doesn't see it!"_

 _"What do I do?" Gajeel questioned, already knowing it was going to be ridiculous._

 _"Easy. Tell Natsu that some creep has been following her in the morning. Knowing him, he'll start walking her to school. This will show Lu-chan that he cares about her and will give them plenty of time to talk alone!"_

 _"Or it could freak Bunny Girl out thinking that she has a stalker and can make my idiot of a cousin kill any guy that so much as glances in her direction."_

 _"It is a risk I'm willing to take."_

 _And with that, Gajeel was lying to Natsu about some stalker._

"Well, since you didn't see anyone," Erza began, "you shall not make a habit out of this."

"Fine," Natsu replied. "I think I scared him off anyways. By the way, you guys should definitely come by the restaurant in the next couple of weeks. I'm getting Lucy a job there-"

"Lucy is going to be working with you?" a familiar voice rang out. Hibiki stood behind Natsu with a puzzled and curious expression.

Natsu fought the urge to glare at the boy and instead replied, "Yep! Me and Luce are going to be working five to eight hour shifts together! And after work we'll probably go back to her place like always and she'll make me dinner! Too bad I don't spend the night at her place anymore. Maybe when she starts working there I'll just pass out _in her bed_ just like old times!" He knew he was being cruel and he knew that Lucy would probably kill him later, but seeing Hibiki's face always angered him and he was unable to help himself.

"WAIT WHAT!?" the whole table chorused.

" _You_ slept in Lucy's bed!?" Loke hissed.

"Natsu, you better be kidding," Erza added, cracking her knuckles for added effect.

"I'm not," the boy nonchalantly replied. "Lucy and I used to have sleepovers all the time. That a problem, Hibiki?"

The light-haired boy frowned but quickly recovered. "N-No, it's no problem at all. After all, she probably told you not to anymore since she's _dating me_ , correct?"

Natsu growled but said nothing more on the matter. No matter what he said in an attempt to make Hibiki mad or jealous, he would never win. After all, Hibiki had Lucy, the one girl he wanted. There was no competing with that. And even more importantly, he didn't want to upset Lucy. So, he reluctantly kept his mouth shut.

Over the past three months, the boy had been doing everything in his power to either end or slow down their relationship. He interrupted their dates, directed her attention away from Hibiki while they were at Fairy Tail, changed the subject whenever she talked about him, and even called earlier for their nightly phone calls just to stop her from texting him. In the end, his efforts were futile. She wasn't breaking up with him and he wasn't breaking up with her.

Thus, Natsu tried to move on. He tried convincing himself that Lucy was just his best friend, that he was only confused because of their kiss. He tried convincing himself that their kiss meant nothing, only to lead to him thinking about it and wanting to kiss her again. Three months passed and he _still_ blushed at the memory. He was hopelessly in love with Lucy and it was just getting worse. Every time he saw her, he wanted to make her smile and laugh or kiss her and run his fingers through her soft golden hair. Every time he saw her with Hibiki, he wanted to commit murder. He was stuck and he didn't know what to do. He wanted to support Lucy and be happy for her, but at the same time he wanted to take her and run away with her. He could only hope Lucy wouldn't find out.

* * *

After a few hours of lounging with her friends at Fairy Tail, Lucy and Hibiki began to walk back to her apartment. It was a beautiful night, their path lit by the stars. A shiver ran through her body, to which her boyfriend gave her his coat. It was romantic, she knew that, and of course part of her felt flustered, yet… the other part of her felt _bored._

Life with Hibiki was a pattern, a routine. Every morning she would receive the same heartfelt good morning text. While at first it was sweet, it became the same words drilled into her head over and over again. Every day they would meet at Fairy Tail, where she would focus her time on her friends, more specifically Natsu seeing as how he always seemed to hog her attention. On their dates, he would "surprise" her with a rose or a box of chocolates and they would go to a nice restaurant. Then she would go home and text him about random things until Natsu called. She quickly found herself _wanting_ her best friend to call and save her from the routine conversation she had with her boyfriend every night.

Finally arriving at her small apartment, Lucy was about to wish Hibiki good night before he walked past her and into her apartment. He slumped onto the sofa with a frown.

"Is everything alright?" Lucy questioned as she sat beside him.

Hibiki gazed at her, searching her eyes and asked in return, "Do you love Natsu?"

The blonde immediately choked on her own spit and sputtered, "W-What the hell makes you think that!? We are just friends, I promise."

"Really? Because you are really close to him and you're going to start working with him and-"

Lucy took Hibiki's face into her hands and caressed his cheeks. "Hibiki, I promise you that I don't love Natsu. You're my boyfriend, not him. Natsu just doesn't understand boundaries."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Hibiki let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Taking a deep breath, he then closed his eyes and leaned towards Lucy. The blonde knew what was coming and wanted to turn away as always but fought against it. After all, if she rejected him it would only further his suspisions about Natsu. So, she closed her eyes as well and braced herself for his lips.

Gently, the boy's lips met hers in a soft kiss. His lips were tender and unchapped as they molded with hers. Hibiki was clearly experienced and the kiss was great, Lucy knew that. Yet the sparks and fireworks she expected weren't there. Pulling away, the girl forced a smile to her face.

"That was great," Hibiki said in a hushed tone.

"It was," Lucy fibbed.

Soon enough, Hibiki left, and Lucy got herself ready for bed. She threw on her pajamas and laid in bed, wondering what was missing in her relationship. Hibiki was everything she ever dreamed for in a man, he absolutely had to be her soulmate. But the kiss, the feelings she got, she knew she wasn't in love with him and she knew she never would be. An image of a familiar piece of paper flashed through her mind. Shaking her head quickly, the girl forced the thought away.

 _"No, I can't keep thinking about that."_

Just then, the girl's phone rang and a feeling of happiness sprouted in her as she found it was time for her call with Natsu.

"Hey, Natsu," she greeted, though her voice lacked its usual enthusiasm.

Natsu instantly noticed and questioned, "What's wrong?"

The blonde cursed his ability to know whenever something bothered her and attempted to lie, "It's nothing. How are you-"

"Lucy."

With a heavy sigh, the said girl reluctantly gave in. "Hibiki and I kissed just now."

There was a moment of silence until Natsu replied, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with that? He is your boyfriend. Wait, did he force himself on you!?"

"No, no! It's just that…" Lucy thought about how to continue, wondering if she should just keep it to herself. Considering she had kept it bottled up for months she decided to continue. After all, Natsu was her best friend, she trusted him more than anyone. "It wasn't what I thought it would be."

"What do you mean?"

"Hibiki is good and all, it's obvious he's had more practice but… I don't know, Natsu. This is all so confusing for me! I like Hibiki, I know that I do, but I don't feel anything _more_! When he kissed me, there were no fireworks or anything like that and I don't know if that's how it's supposed to be, but I always imagined it to be more special…"

"What are you going to do about it?" Natsu asked. It was clear he was being sincere but he had no experience in any of this sort of stuff. Not to mention the fact that he was in love with her.

"I was hoping you would tell me what to do," Lucy answered, followed by a weak chuckle.

"I-I don't think you should be asking me, Luce," he replied. His voice was strained, though Lucy didn't know why.

"Please, Natsu. I need help. I don't want to break up with him. I like him, I do. But I don't know if he's my soulmate anymore. He should be though! He likes the same stuff as me and he's everything I wanted in a guy! What should I do?"

Natsu sighed, knowing that he had to do what was right. No matter how badly he wanted to tell her to break up with Hibiki, he couldn't do that. He had to think of Lucy, not him. So, with great reluctance, he answered, "I can't tell you what to do, Lucy. You know more than anyone that I am not good at this stuff. But maybe… Maybe you should give it a bit more time. Don't force yourself to be with him, but don't give up so easily either. You'll find your soulmate…"

"You think so?"

"I do."

"Do you think it's Hibiki?"

"…I think it's something for you to decide."

"…Thanks, Natsu. You've been a great friend. Now, how about you tell me another one of your pyro stories so I can go to bed, huh?"

The boy weakly chuckled and replied, "Of course. Night, Luce."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

 **AN:** Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! :) Sorry if there were mistakes, don't have time to proofread! Please review! :D

 **Guest:** Haha you clearly don't like the idea of Lucy and Hibiki being together! Lucky for you, I couldn't force myself to write 20 chapters of a relationship I as well don't ship, so their relationship isn't long. Also luckily for you, even the chapters of the two dating Hibiki doesn't play a too important role and it's mainly about Natsu and Lucy. :) Thanks for the review!

 **Illusions From Ink:** Yes, Lucy isn't always the brightest. Tsk tsk. But hey, gotta let her learn haha! Thanks for the review! :D

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU AGAIN AGHHH.

 **Rose Tiger:** Yes, she is very wrong haha! But eventually she'll stop being dense!

 **MirrorFlame:** That sounds like a good plan to me! :D RIP Hibiki!

 **XxTentenxX179:** HAHAHA OMG. That is some great dedication to read my story haha! Warms my heart. :')

 **SingingAngel327:** I like to think of her as more in denial! :D I KNOW, I KNOW. SILLY LUCY.

 **1-800fangirl:** First, thank you haha! I wanted Juvia to be the one to say it because she's usually more on the shyer side so I thought it would mean more if she said it instead of Levy, who always teases Lucy about it anyways! Second, yes they did make up. :') Third, I knooow Lucy is booksmart but is a dingus when it comes to love! Fourth, GOTTA LOVE MIRA'S EVIL SIDE. Fifth, ALSO GOTTA LOVE SOME GALE. Sixth, and you shall stay in suspense about Hibiki! :D

 **Craycraynalufan:** Oh you made an account! :D And I can guarantee you're right about both of those predictions. :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** IT'LL BE OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT I PROMISE.

 **Grimnack:** Haha I know, denial is very real. And Natsu is being a kind friend. :')

 **Alexa60765:** YES SHE DID JUST ADMIT IT WITHOUT KNOWING. SILLY LUCY. GLAD YOU ALL CAUGHT THAT!

 **21jhauptman:** Nalu fluff will come eventually! :D Hopefully.

 **BloodRedRubies:** Yes, the kiss did help a bit with Lucy's denial, but it wasn't enough! And yes, sending Mira after Lucy should help our dense little blonde!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** If she accepted it so soon it would be too short of a story haha! :D

 **Lunahartz:** Which story are you talking about? My Nashi story? I said I would post that one once I finish my other nalu story. :) And don't worry, Hibiki will leave soon-ish! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** Haha sadly the boys don't find out about it! I like to think of Natsu as more of a private guy haha! Thank you for the review. :)

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** I knoooow but she's inexperienced, gotta give her some time! :D


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Hi guys! :D Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I spent the first half of the day throwing up and the second half sleeping it off haha. Man, so much has happened in the last two days. I broke my phone and my toilet paper holder thingy. Yes, alcohol was involved. Now I vow to never drink again lmao! Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 13

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted with his fanged grin as he saw the said girl and her two blunette friends approaching him. He had been walking them to Fairy Tail after school for months now, which was before an attempt to keep Lucy away from Hibiki, but now was more of a happy habit. "Ready for your first day of work?"

Lucy eagerly returned the grin and nodded her head. Since Natsu promised to get her a job at the restaurant he worked at, she had filled out the application and breezed through an interview with the owner. He was an old man, incredibly short with a mustache and balding head. She was nervous at first seeing his stern face, but once he gave her a gentle smile, her worries vanished and was replaced with confidence, landing her a job as a waitress.

"Yep!" Lucy answered. "My uniform is in my bag!"

"Good!" the pinkette replied. "Last time I tried to get out of working without my uniform, Gramps beat me to a pulp."

"At least he lets you wear your scarf!"

"That's true!"

Lucy focused her attention on her two other friends and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, girls. We can't walk with you to Fairy Tail today. I don't work tomorrow though!"

"Neither do I!" Natsu added. "You and I will be working the same shifts!"

"That's interesting," Levy teased. "And why is that?"

"Because I asked Gramps!"

The two blunettes giggled while Lucy glared at them. Even since the girl began dating Hibiki, her two friends never relented their teasing in regards to Natsu.

"C'mon, Natsu," the blonde said, taking hold of his wrist and dragging him in the right direction. "We're going to be late! Bye, girls!"

The two girls shouted their goodbyes and watched as the other two rushed towards the restaurant, Makarov's Diner. They then began their cheery walk to Fairy Tail, enjoying the breeze the day had to offer.

"Lucy sure does spend a lot of time with Natsu," Juvia said out of nowhere.

Levy nodded and replied, "She sure does."

"Juvia thinks Lucy loves Natsu."

"So do I."

"Do you think they'll get together?"

"Oh I know it," Levy answered with a smirk. "Gajeel and I are already working on it."

* * *

Lucy rushed into the bathroom as soon as she got to the quaint diner and threw her uniform on. It was a knee-length black pencil skirt along with a white button up shirt and a black bowtie. The girl ran her fingers through her golden locks and gathered them to tie her hair into a high pony. She then removed her school socks and instead slipped on ankle-high black socks and slipped her feet into the black heels she brought for work, not too high to constantly trip. Satisfied with her appearance, the girl collected her belongings and exited the bathroom.

"Finally," Natsu groaned, already dressed in his own uniform. "Girls take forever. Or maybe it's just you."

Lucy stuck her tongue out at the boy and crossed her arms. "Whatever. At least my uniform isn't all wrinkled and unkempt."

The boy chuckled and replied, "I guess you got a point there. Anyways, let's get you to see Gramps!" He then grabbed her wrist and led her towards the back of the restaurant and behind an 'Employees Only' door. They walked through a long hallway until finally he stopped in front of Makarov's office. Not bothering to knock, the boy barged in, towing the blonde behind him.

"How many times do I have to tell you to knock, brat!" Makarov scolded, punching the teen upside the head. He then smiled at Lucy, who paled seeing his anger. "Ahh, the uniform fits you, Lucy. That is good. Anyways, for the first week, you will need to be trained. You'll follow another waiter or waitress around and they'll train you. Just make sure to listen to them and things will go smoothly."

"Okay!" Lucy replied with a bright smile. Sounded easy enough. As long as she was paired with someone that knew what they were doing, her training should go by in a flash. "Who is going to be training me?"

The old man fingered his mustache in thought. "Hmm, how about Natsu? He's been working here long enough to know what he's doing, even though he's a lazy brat. And you two will be working the same shifts, you'll need to be able to work together anyways."

Lucy released a quiet sigh, knowing that Natsu would constantly tease her throughout the day and make working harder than it had to be. But at the same time, she knew she could count on him to make it somewhat enjoyable. After all, there was never a boring time around Natsu. With one last nod, the two were dismissed and were officially on the clock.

"Ready for your first day?" Natsu asked once again with a smirk.

"Don't you dare do anything to screw me up!" Lucy replied.

The pinkette laughed and slung an arm over the girl's shoulder. "Relax, Luce! I wouldn't do that! It's going to be fun, I promise!"

"If you say so…"

And with that, Lucy found out that she and Natsu had two different ideas of fun when it came to work. For Lucy, she thought of fun as getting through the day problem free and as quickly as possible. For Natsu, fun was playing games and fooling around.

"Oh, we got one," Natsu said, readying his notepad. "C'mon. You'll just watch for the first one."

Lucy followed, surprised that he randomly got serious. When they finally approached the table, she saw one man in his mid-thirties seated at a booth waiting for them. His face was void of a smile and his eyebrows were furrowed impatiently. Lucy could tell that he was a grouch. Nonetheless, she plastered a bright smile to her face as she followed Natsu, eager to finish her very first order.

Natsu uninterestedly approached the man and asked, "What can I get ya?"

The man sneered and replied, "Took you long enough. And you have no manners. Damn kids these days, nothing but runts."

Natsu shrugged and simply repeated, "What can I get ya?" He was completely unaffected by the man's harsh words seeing as how he had dealt with rude customers time and time again.

"I don't want you taking my damn order! I want a new waiter! Someone with some damn manners!" Peeking behind Natsu, the man's gaze landed on Lucy and his lips tugged into a smirk. "Let that little missy take over."

The boy frowned irritably and said, "Can't. She's a trainee."

"So let her train by taking my order! Do I have to go complain to your manager!? I will have you fired!"

Lucy placed a reassuring hand on Natsu's shoulder and walked forward, notepad in hand. Though she wanted to rip the man's head off for being so dastardly rude, she kept a calm smile glued to her face.

"Sorry about him, sir," she said, wanting to take her pen and scribble onto his face. "Like you said, he cannot be bothered with manners. May I take your order?"

The man's smirk deepened as he said to Natsu, "See? This is what manners are like, runt!" Turning his attention back on Lucy, he smiled and replied, "Thank you little lady. I would like to order a simple burger. Don't skimp out on the ketchup."

"I wouldn't dream of doing that, sir. What would you like to drink?"

"I'll take a water with lemon."

"Alright, thank you, sir. I will be right back with your water," Lucy said as she wrote down his order professionally. She gave the nasty man one last smile before she headed back towards the kitchen, Natsu in tow.

Natsu gave a low whistle and a smirk as he said, "Wow, Lucy. You sure knew how to handle that jerk."

The blonde laughed in response and replied, "Only because I used to have to deal with pompous jerks like that every day."

Natsu found his curiosity peak and questioned, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

Natsu was going to continue pestering her but stopped once they entered the kitchen. It was then that he realized during the last four months he'd known Lucy, neither of them had yet to talk about their pasts. He knew nothing about her past at all and was now dying of curiosity.

After ripping Lucy's page from her notepad that contained the man's order, he showed Lucy where to place it in order for the chef, Kinana, to begin cooking. Then he led the way to the soda machine, next to which were stacks of cleaned glasses. He took one of the cups and filled it with ice and water and retrieved a lemon. Handing it to Lucy, the two made their way back out of the kitchen. Lucy delivered the drink with a smile, to which the man eyed her up and down. Natsu wanted to pounce on him but decided against it. He had another plan of revenge in mind.

Lucy found that working wasn't as hard as she first thought it to be. Natsu always made jokes, making her laugh. It was clear that he didn't take his job too seriously, and she was beyond grateful for it. After all, her father was obsessed with work and she knew she couldn't handle another relationship like that. So, she laughed at all of his jokes and decided not to think too hard about her own job.

Soon, the restaurant began to get busy. After the nasty middle-aged man left- after only leaving a cheap two dollar tip- Lucy found herself rushing table to table and back to the kitchen.

" _Is this what Mira has to deal with every day?"_

"Oi, Lucy," Natsu's voice called out to her, interrupting her thoughts. "It's getting too busy and you and I are the only ones on the clock right now. You ready to be by yourself?"

"What?" Lucy practically screeched, her eyes wide. "No way! I'm still getting used to things! I've only been here a couple hours! And I'm supposed to train with you for a week!"

The boy chuckled and replied, "Well, looks like you don't have a choice! It's too busy! Look, you take left side I'll take right! Good?"

"Argh, fine!"

And with that, Lucy's first day of work got incredibly harder.

* * *

After a half hour break in which Lucy munched on a sandwich Kinana made her, it was time to head back to work, meaning that now it was Natsu's turn for a break. Lucy didn't want to go back to work all alone but knew that her friend deserved a break, especially seeing as how the right side was more filled with customers than the left. The blonde quickly deduced that Natsu knew the right side filled up before the left, glad that he gave her the easier side for her first day.

As the girl exited the kitchen, a smile crept to her face as she found Natsu walking towards her. The two made funny faces at each other and gave a quick high five before the blonde went back to work. Luckily, much to her surprise, the restaurant was only filled with a few customers. It was busy just a half hour ago and now it was almost deserted.

Taking orders and rushing to and from the kitchen was a lot easier than before as she was getting the hang of it. She now knew where everything was and her body was getting used to having to constantly be on the move. It became even easier when Natsu's break ended and he was there to help again.

The two quickly made a game of trying to embarrass each other. It started when Natsu continued throwing funny faces at the girl while she was trying to take an elderly couple's order, which resulted in her breaking into a fit of giggles. Lucy then retaliated later into their shift by tripping the boy on his way towards the kitchen. Since then, it was a fun-filled war that had the blonde on the tip of her toes at all times. She walked towards the large, circular booth that was newly filled with her work-smile and nearly dropped the notepad when she saw who was there.

"Wow, Lu-chan! That uniform sure makes you look like a woman!" Levy teased at their star struck friend.

Lucy snapped out of her trance and glared at her friends. The whole group was there, besides her boyfriend, which relieved her. After all, it was only a week ago since Hibiki questioned her about Natsu. Seeing her working with the pink-haired boy himself would only send her boyfriend into another fit of jealousy.

"What are you guys doing here?" the blonde finally demanded. Snickers filled her ears as she found Natsu hunched over in laughter.

"I told them to come here to watch you struggle," Natsu informed her, forgetting all about the order he was supposed to be taking. "You guys should've seen it when she dropped a tray of food!"

"S-Shut up! It's my first day here!" Lucy shouted. "Anyways, what do you guys want?"

"That's no way to treat your customers," Gray teased with a smirk.

"Exactly, I might have to complain to the manager," Gajeel added, followed by his signature "gihi" laugh.

"Shut it boys," Erza demanded. Smiling at the blonde, she said, "I would like a strawberry shortcake."

"You mean a slice?" Lucy dumbly questioned. Seeing the redhead's glare, she promptly shut her mouth and wrote down a _whole_ cake.

"I'll take whiskey," Cana ordered.

"Can't get you that."

"Ugh, good thing I brought my own. I'm good then, I just came to watch you struggle."

"Gee, thanks Cana," Lucy sarcastically replied. "What about you, Lisanna?"

"I'm good!" the silver-haired girl answered. "I know how hard it is taking orders so I don't wanna make it any harder! Besides, I ate before I got here!"

"Well, I'm starving. I'll take a medium-rare steak with a side of mashed potatoes," Gray ordered.

"Me too," Gajeel added.

"Juvia will just have a salad," the blunette said.

"I'll take some shrimp fettucini alfredo!" Levy excitedly announced. She and the blonde shared a love for pasta.

"I as well ate before coming here, so I'll be fine," Jellal said.

With that, Lucy gave one last smile and scurried to the back of the kitchen. Since nobody clarified on drinks, she went with water, knowing that at least Juvia would be happy with her drink. It would save them all a couple bucks anyways. The girl attempted to balance the eight glasses on her tray before she quickly gave up after dropping them. Making two trips, she safely delivered the water and ignored Gray and Gajeel's complaints.

The hardest part was the food. The plates wobbled unbalanced in her hands as she carefully stepped out of the kitchen. Levy's plate was just about to fall out of her hand, but was luckily caught. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief seeing her friend catch the plate.

"Thanks Natsu," she said.

"No problem," the pinkette replied. "Here, I'll help you."

Lucy nodded as she handed him the other plates and scurried back into the kitchen to retrieve the rest. Once all the food was delivered, she glanced around before pulling a chair up and sitting with her friends.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Gray chided. Still, he slid his plate closer to the blonde after seeing her eye it ravenously.

Lucy smiled gratefully at her brother-like friend and took a bite of his mashed potatoes, immediately feeling reenergized after a long day of work. Thankfully there was only an hour left before they could close up and leave.

"Natsu does this all the time," Lucy finally replied after swallowing the amazing mashed potatoes. Kinana was no Mira, but she still could whip up some tasty food. "I deserve a quick little break."

"Just don't get caught," Jellal warned.

Erza nodded and added, "Can't have you getting fired on your first day."

Soon enough, the group finished their meals and bid their farewells, leaving the restaurant. Since then, the diner quickly grew deserted, leaving the crew to clean up. The blonde found that closing the restaurant was the easiest part of the day as she scrubbed the tables down while Natsu did the dishes. Her first work day was long and hard, but Lucy enjoyed it, especially since her best friend was there to make it easier. Working gave the girl a sense of freedom and pride she never felt before. Working for herself and her own money was something she had never done before. Sure, she knew her father would be enraged that she got a job, but for now the blonde was just happy that she wasn't the spoiled child she used to be that she hated playing the role of.

Once the restaurant was completely cleaned and ready for the next day, Lucy and Natsu headed out. The sky was dark but there were stars in the sky, enough to light up the distances between street lamps. Lucy dragged her feet, regretting that she had worn heels and made a mental note to buy a pair of flats.

"Do your feet hurt?" Natsu asked with concern.

Lucy nodded and replied, "Yeah, I shouldn't have worn heels."

The pink-headed boy sighed. Then he walked in front of her, his back facing her as he crouched down. "Hop on."

"What? No way!"

"C'mon! We'll get there much faster if you let me carry you and your feet hurt."

"B-But I'm heavy…"

"Yeah, but it'll be fine."

Lucy smacked the boy upside his head for dumbly agreeing but got onto his back anyways. He was right, her feet were hurting and it would get them there much faster. Wrapping her arms around his neck, the girl laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled her face closer to his warm neck, not noticing the shiver that ran up the boy's spine in response. Being so close to Natsu didn't faze the blonde, she was completely comfortable with him.

Finally, the two made it to Lucy's apartment complex. Lucy was about to hop off but Natsu tightened his grips on her instead. To her surprise, he made it up the flight of stairs even with her on his back and he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Thanks," Lucy muttered as he sat her onto the couch. She quickly threw off her shoes and rubbed her aching feet.

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied with a gentle smile. He wanted to take her into her bed but knew that was a bad idea. Oh how badly he missed the comfort of her bed. His hammock was no longer nice to sleep on. Not to mention the fact he missed cuddling with the blonde. "It's late, I should get going."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, releasing a loud yawn. "Better get home quickly, I'm about to pass out and we have to have our nightly talk!"

The pink-headed boy chuckled and replied, "You're right. I'll run there now!"

With that, Natsu dashed out the window, leaving Lucy alone in her apartment. The blonde lazily rose from the couch and got ready for bed, brushing her teeth and throwing on her pajamas. She was surprised when her phone began ringing.

" _He's home already?"_

Picking up her phone and settling into bed, she answered with a bright, "You're already home, Natsu? You just left my apartment not even five minutes ago!"

There was a brief moment of silence until another voice rang out.

"Uhh, this isn't Natsu."

The girl instantly jolted into a sitting position. "H-Hibiki?"

A weak chuckle sounded from the phone. "That's me."

"O-Oh! Sorry, I thought you were Natsu!"

"I could tell… So he was over?"

Lucy frowned as she hesitantly answered, "Yeah. We came here after work. He was only here for a couple minutes."

"Well if he was only there a couple minutes, why did he come in at all?" Hibiki asked, his voice tainted with irritation.

"I-I don't know…" Lucy answered. There was no way she could tell him that Natsu carried her home. Her phone began to ring and Natsu's face lit up her screen as he was calling. "Oh, Natsu is calling! Can I talk to you tomorrow?"

"Seriously?" Hibiki asked incredulously.

"I-Is that a problem?"

There was another brief moment of silence until Hibiki finally answered, "No. There's no problem. But Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Natsu not to walk you and the girls to Fairy Tail tomorrow. You and I are going to your place."

Lucy was about to question him before his voice rang out again with the expression she had dreaded to hear.

"We need to talk."

 **AN:** Lucy and Natsu's closeness is one of my favorite things about them. They're so close it's cute! And thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! It seems nobody noticed the little bit of foreshadowing I put in there for future chapters. ;) Please leave even more awesome reviews. :D Btw, sometimes when I write somebody's username to reply to their review, their name vanishes and only leaves " **:** " when I save it. Does anyone know why that happens?

 **1-800fangirl:** Ahh thank you! I was so nervous about that time skip! And your sister is right, Natsu is incredibly jealous haha! :D And yes, Hibiki's past will be revealed soon! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** Haha thank you for another awesome review! :D

 **Grimnack:** Yes, Natsu is trying to make her happy by not ruining things for her. :') Thanks for the review!

 **SingingAngel327:** I know! She's too stubborn! D:

 **Alexa60765:** I know! I like making Natsu realize his feelings first! :D I usually think of Lucy realizing it first but I think I like it more this way! :D

 **XxTentenxX179:** Hey, as long as you get to read the chapter at all is good enough! :) And ooh good prediction! I guess you'll just have to find out! ;)

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh, looks like Hibiki is still in the story. He must've escaped.

 **The Siege:** Glad you liked the song choice haha! :D And oh don't worry I know the rules of alcohol! It was just for the story. :)

 **Guest:** Haha I never thought about that!

 **:** Oh wow that's awesome! :D Glad you were inspired! :') Let me know when you post it, I would love to check it out!

 **Rose Tiger:** Poor Lucy now though since she got the cliché "I'm about to break up with you" words! D:

 **PineappleText:** Omg haha I just saw your profile picture it's so cute! I love it! Anyways, THANK YOU SO MUCH. And good predictions! ;D

 **Lunahartz:** Thank you haha! :D And I am honored to be your new sister. :')

 **Guest:** Haha don't worry, Hibiki will be out of the story soon! I promise! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** SOON DON'T WORRY!

 **BloodRedRubies:** Hibiki will be leaving soon it'll all work out! :D And thank you I was so worried people wouldn't like the time skip!

 **Zeiyuu:** I'm glad you caught up! Here's another chapter for you to read! :D And thank you so much! I think that the one thing that irritates me about fanfics is when they are OOC so that's the one thing I try to do best on! I'm glad it's working! :D

 **Brynn chan:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** I can't promise that Nalu will be canon soon but I can promise that Hibiki will leave soon! :D

 **21jhauptman:** Haha I knoooow! He's too nice! But if he did that it would just confuse her!

 **Snavej:** Haha thank you! :D


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** WOW ALREADY 200 REVIEWS WTF I FEEL LIKE I JUST GOT 100 REVIEWS THE OTHER DAY! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. Because of your awesomeness, there will be a sneak peak of the next chapter in my second AN! Sorry about this filler chapter! But there is a bit of cute stuff mixed in! Just a bit! And I know you were all excited for Lucy's talk with Hibiki but that actually comes the next chapter lol. Hope you enjoy! :D

Chapter 14

After Hibiki hung up, Lucy sat in a daze.

" _We need to talk."_

She had heard that line before. Not for herself, but in movies and books. It was the cliché expression that led up to a couple's breakup. And now she had been on the receiving end. Of course, the girl didn't know if Hibiki was officially going to break up with her, but she knew that whatever he had to say wasn't good. His suspicions of Natsu only grew worse in the past week, Lucy knew that. And yet she did nothing to stop it. She didn't limit her time with Natsu, she didn't focus on Hibiki more, she didn't do anything.

Another loud ring from her phone brought Lucy out of her daze as she found Natsu calling her again. Part of the girl wanted to deny the call but she decided against it. It wasn't Natsu's fault. It was hers.

"Hello," the blonde said weakly.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu eagerly greeted in return, surprisingly not noticing the missing cheery tone of his friend. "Why didn't you answer the first time, weirdo?"

Lucy feigned cheeriness and fibbed, "I didn't hear my phone ring, sorry!"

Yet of course, her lies were futile with Natsu.

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked.

"I really don't wanna talk about it," the blonde replied, biting her lower lip to keep from crying. She never knew that being broken up with would be so painful, even if it hadn't happened yet. Not to mention the fact she didn't even love Hibiki. Still, her heart throbbed painfully in her chest.

"C'mon, Lucy," Natsu softly persisted.

"Can we talk about something else please?" Lucy begged, her voice cracking near the end as tears spilled from her cheeks.

"…Alright. What did you wanna talk about?"

"Anything."

Natsu laid in his hammock, pondering what to talk about. He knew that joking around would probably hurt the blonde even more, so he decided to stay serious. His fingers brushed against his scarf, giving him exactly the idea he needed.

"Remember the first time I came over to your apartment?" he finally asked. "You questioned me about where my parents were."

"Oh, Natsu. You don't have to talk about-"

"I told you that I didn't know. Remember? I told you that I would tell you some other time. Why not now?"

"Natsu…"

"Know the scarf I always wear? It was given to me by my dad, Igneel. Well, he's technically my adoptive dad, but I'll always think of him as my real dad. Anyways, I lived with Igneel as long as I could remember. This scarf is all I have left with him."

"D-Did he pass away?" Lucy asked in a barely audible whisper.

"Truthfully, I don't know," Natsu answered, followed by a weak chuckle. "I woke up one day when I was seven and he was just gone. He left a note, but all it had was the combination to his safe full of his savings. No goodbye, nothing. He just abandoned me."

"Natsu-"

"I'm not the only one though. You know Gajeel? He's actually my cousin."

"What!?"

The boy chuckled and replied, "Yeah. His old man left him too. We think that they went somewhere together, along with our other cousins' parents. You don't know them though."

"T-That's so strange…"

"It is, isn't it? Anyways, that's why I wear this scarf all the time. I'm going to find Igneel one day."

"I'm sure you will," Lucy said with a small smile. After Natsu opened up to her, she felt remarkably better. It made her feel so much closer to him in ways she wasn't before. It made her want to share her own past. "You know, my mom passed away when I was seven…"

"Lucy, you don't have to share anything with me. I told you about my dad because I wanted to," Natsu said.

"I want to tell you," the blonde persisted. With that, she continued, knowing she wouldn't be interrupted. "You already know that my dad is rich, but I never told you I lived in a mansion. Before my mom died, I was always so happy. We were a small, happy family. After she died though, my dad and I grew apart. I look too much like my mother, it pained him."

With a sigh, she continued, "First it started with us not talking as much, then he had me move to the opposite side of the mansion. By then, the only time we talked was if it related to his business. He wasn't the warm, kind father I once knew. He was just an empty shell of a man, cold and distant. Eventually, we both grew to resent each other. I actually tried to run away a few times."

Lucy released a weak chuckle. "It didn't matter though. I was always dragged back to that hellhole. Anyways, my dad always tried to marry me to some business owners' sons. I would always make them change their minds though. But one family… they were so damned persistent and before I knew it I was engaged at the age of fourteen. Anyways, I know this may be a terrible way to settle things, but I was so angry afterwards. I marched to my dad's office, which was on the third story, threw open his window, and threatened to jump. At first he didn't believe me, but when I stood on the sill he started to cry and I started to cry and… we just made up. He pulled me from the window and we just sat on the floor, hugging and crying. After that, my father started going back to his normal self. He even let me go to a real school after begging him for a while. The day before I met you was actually my sixteenth birthday party."

"I remember that," Natsu said, intently listening to the story.

Lucy smiled and replied, "That was my first birthday in nine years that I celebrated with my father."

A silence lulled over the phone, neither knowing what to say next, until finally Natsu spoke again.

"Don't you ever dare do something that stupid again," he demanded.

Lucy's eyes widened, confused and surprised. "Do what?"

"Threaten to kill yourself. If you died, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, Lucy."

The blonde's heart sped rapidly and a familiar warmth spread throughout her body. While she was confused about her body's reaction, she was even more confused that it only happened around Natsu. Only he was able to make her feel so light and so cared for.

"I won't," Lucy finally replied with a small smile.

"Good. Thanks for telling me all of this by the way. I feel a lot closer to you now."

"Me too."

Natsu wanted to say more. He wanted to shout his feelings to the world. But he didn't. He couldn't. Not when she was with Hibiki. Thus, with a heavy sigh, he said, "Go to sleep, Luce."

Lucy pouted and asked, "You're gonna tell me another story, right?"

"Nah, I think that was enough stories for today. I'm beat. Why don't we fall asleep together tonight?"

"Alright, just this once. By the way, don't pick me up after school tomorrow, Hibiki is walking me home. We have some… _things_ to discuss. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Aright then. Night, Luce. Sweet dreams."

* * *

Lucy woke up the next morning and released a loud yawn, followed by a relaxing stretch. Pounding her fist onto her alarm clock, she shut it off, ending its annoying beeps. Glancing at her phone, her breath hitched in her throat as she found that the call with Natsu never ended. He never hung up. With a wide smile, the girl brought the phone to her ear and listened intently to the loud sounds.

"Morning, Luce!" Natsu's voice called out, prompting the girl to shriek and drop her phone.

Hastily picking it up, the blonde brought it back to her ear and asked, "Natsu, where are you?"

The boy chuckled and answered, "School, duh."

"And you didn't hang up?"

"Nah, wanted to say good morning."

A small crept onto Lucy's lips as butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach. "Aren't you in class?"

"Yeah, but I heard your alarm clock beeping and I knew you were waking up soon so I thought I would say hi! Hold on real quick. GRAY, STOP KICKING THE BACK OF MY SEAT OR I'M GOING TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU. Okay, I'm back!"

A laugh escaped the blonde's lips. "Sounds like school is a pain for you too."

"It is!"

"Alright, I'm going to get ready for school now, Natsu. I'm gonna hang up now!"

"Whaaat? Why not just leave it on?" Natsu whined.

"Because that would kill my phone battery," Lucy answered, already getting her uniform ready.

"Fine. Later, Luce!"

"Bye, Natsu. I love you."

With that, Lucy hung up her phone and calmly got dressed. She brushed her teeth and tamed her long mane of golden locks. Walking to the kitchen, the girl prepared herself breakfast and once it was finished she peacefully nibbled on it. And just like that, realization dawned on her as she realized what she just said.

" _Bye, Natsu. I love you."_

 _"I love you."_

 _"Love."_

"FUCK!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes bulging from her sockets as she took deep breaths. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. Oh, Lucy. You really did it now. Shit, shit, shit! Why the hell did I say that!? I don't even like Natsu like that! Oh god."

And it was then that she remembered her conversation with Hibiki.

" _Oh great, now he's really going to break up with me! I can't even blame him now! Damn it! I hope Natsu didn't hear that…"_

* * *

Natsu was paralyzed in his seat, his phone dropped on his desk and his eyes widened. His mouth was gaping open like a fish out of water as his heart thumped rapidly as if he just ran a marathon. Warmth coursed throughout his body, manifesting in his cheeks.

" _I love you."_

Those three words had the boy shocked to the core. He had never expected to hear those words come out of Lucy's mouth and actually addressed to him. He knew it was a mistake, that she didn't mean to say it, but damn it he was happy. Unbelievably happy. And that was why he didn't bother turning around and punching Gray in the face even though he continued to kick the back of his chair. No, nothing could ruin his happy mood. That is, until lunch time came and he was forced to see Hibiki.

Despite what Lucy said, she was with Hibiki, not him. Natsu fought the urge to fight the light-haired boy as always, but was feeling even more possessive than usual. Those three words sparked such hope, only to leave him disappointed at the sight of her boyfriend.

 _"She doesn't love me. She loves Hibiki."_

* * *

School went by in a blur for Lucy. After absentmindedly greeting her two friends, she slouched in her seat and zoned out. Her mind couldn't focus on what she was supposed to be learning, nor did it want to. All it could focus on were boys. Hibiki and Natsu to be exact.

On the one hand, Lucy was glum because her relationship with the boy she liked was soon to come to an end. Though the girl knew she wasn't in love with the light-haired boy, she couldn't help but feel sad knowing he was going to dump her after school. After all, he was her dream guy.

On the other hand, Lucy was glum because she stupidly told Natsu that she loved him. She knew she didn't love him. How could she? He was brash and idiotic. He never read and he wasn't smart. There was no way she was in love with him. Her remark was just a stupid mistake she didn't mean. Now things were going to be awkward between them.

When school finally came to an end, Lucy's stomach dropped to the ground as she found Hibiki waiting for her by the entrance. Levy and Juvia questioned her, asking if she was alright, but the blonde ignored them. Instead, the girl walked to her boyfriend and with that the two silently walked back to her apartment.

Once they arrived, Hibiki immediately took a seat at her table, Lucy following pursuit. At first, both kept their gazes locked onto the wooden table, unable to meet the other's eyes. It was deadly quiet. The girl was sure that if she dropped a tack on the floor she would be able to hear it loud and clear. Finally, she heard her boyfriend clear his throat, signaling that it was time to begin.

" _Here we go."_

 **AN:** As promised, here is a sneak peak of the next chapter:

 _The boy frowned and released a pained sigh. Meeting his girlfriend's gaze once more, his eyes shone with determination. "There's only one thing we can do about this."_

 _Lucy's eyes widened as she replied, "Tell me, I'll do anything! I don't want to break up! Tell me and I'll do it!"_

 _"You have to choose between me and Natsu. Either end your friendship with him, or we're done."_

Well, there's the sneak peak! :D I actually liked putting a sneak peak! Alright, if I get enough reviews for this chapter, I'll post another sneak peak next time! :D Hope you guys enjoyed and thank you again for all of the reviews! :D

 **Grimnack:** I guess you'll just have to find out in the next chapter! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** I had to end it there haha! :D And thanks to the sneak peak, you can see a little bit of their conversation! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Nalu is getting closer, but not just yet! :D Soon though! :)

 **Snavej:** Levy is freaking amazing I love her! I really really really want an episode showing Levy's past and why she joined Fairy Tail. Like that is my dream. And ooh good guess! You'll have to keep reading to find out! ;D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Oh well they'll be talking the next chapter haha! And sorry but you'll have to endure Hibiki just a bit longer! :D

 **PineappleText:** Ahh you have so many predictions! Guess you'll have to find out next chapter! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Well now you see what Hibiki will do! All that's left is to wait for Lucy's decision! :D

 **AnimeFairy2424:** Thank you so much! Hope you catch up on the story! :)

 **XxTentenxX179:** HAHA IT MUST BE EVEN WORSE NOW HUH?

 **Rose Tiger:** Uh-oh indeed! Thanks for another review! :D

 **Aurawarrior13:** Hello there! :D Thank you for the super sweet review!

 **MirrorFlame:** Figured Gray would do something like that!

 **Fairy tail fan:** He is very jealous haha! :D

 **21jhauptman:** Oooh good guesses! :D Guess you'll have to find out next chapter!

 **AnimeFairy2424:** I will continue, don't worry! :D

 **Guest:** Oh shoot Hibiki better watch out then!

 **Brynn chan:** I loved the nalu last chapter it was nice. But it's time for angst and lots of it! :D

 **Guest:** That means so much to me! I'm glad that my story made your day better!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I know I can't make up my mind if I want cute or angst lol.

 **FairyTail9908:** Thank you so much glad you enjoy! :)

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Good guess! :D You were right! :D


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HATE ME FOR THIS CHAPTER LMAO SORRY. I rewrote it a thousand times but just kept coming back to this. So, what's done is done! :D And I start school tomorrow (highly upset about that) and so if my updates get slower, I apologize in advance!

Chapter 15

Lucy stared into Hibiki's dark eyes with both worry and wonder. She knew what he had to say wasn't going to be good, but was he actually going to break up with her? If he was going to break up with her, wouldn't he have done it over the phone to save time and energy?

"Lucy," Hibiki began, the corners of his lips tugging downwards, "I need you to be completely honest with me."

The blonde knew what he was going to ask, but nodded and replied, "Okay."

"Do you love Natsu Dragneel?"

Lucy stared into her boyfriend's eyes with complete conviction and shook her head. "No, I do not love him. He's just my best friend-"

"Cut the crap, Lucy!" Hibiki shouted, slamming his hands onto the table.

The girl's eyes widened and her mouth parted. She had never seen the usually calm boy so enraged. And it was all because of her.

"I-I'm not lying," she finally said, tears gathering in her eyes already. She blinked them away though, not wanting to cry. At least not so soon into their fight.

"Oh really? Because I've been finding out a lot about your relationship with him at school. Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"Our tattoos mean nothing!" Lucy shouted, the tears that she had been struggling to contain finally streaming freely. "They don't mean anything, Hibiki! I promise!"

Now the boy's eyes widened as he stared incredulously at the blonde. "Tattoos? Wait a second, are you talking about soulmate tattoos? Oh great, so you two are soulmates!?"

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, realizing her mistake.

Hibiki was now on a roll as he paced around the room and shouted, "I wasn't even talking about that, Lucy! To think that you two are soulmates on top of everything else! That's just great! I was talking about you two _sleeping_ together. Ever think of telling me about that, Lucy? Or maybe about the fact that you two are freaking soulmates? Were you _ever_ going to tell me about that?"

The blonde slowly shook her head and answered, "No, I wasn't. Because it's not important, Hibiki! Both Natsu and I decided that we don't want relationships! We don't love each other! He's not my type at all! _You_ are!"

"Really? Then why the hell do you brush me off all the time!? C'mon, Lucy! You walk with _him_ after school, you talk to _him_ while we're at Fairy Tail, you work with _him_ , and you talk to _him_ every night! Last night you chose to talk to him instead of me!"

"T-That's because…" Lucy began. But she couldn't finish her sentence. Truthfully, she didn't know why she did that.

"Exactly," Hibiki said. "You can't even excuse yourself! Just admit it, Lucy!"

"No!" the blonde shouted. "I won't admit it! I don't love him!"

The light-haired boy marched up to the girl and demanded, "Then tell me you love me."

"What-"

"Tell me you love me and I will drop this whole thing."

Lucy bit her quivering bottom lip. Her eyes hadn't stopped releasing waterfalls of tears and she didn't think they were going to for a while. Shaking her head slowly, she replied in a hushed tone, "I-I can't."

"You can't?" Hibiki asked.

"No, I can't," the blonde repeated. "I don't love you, Hibiki…"

The boy frowned and released a pained sigh. Meeting his girlfriend's gaze once more, his eyes shone with determination. "Then there's only one thing we can do about this."

Lucy's eyes widened as she replied, "Tell me, I'll do anything! I don't want to break up! Tell me and I'll do it!"

"You have to choose between me and Natsu. Either end your friendship with him, or we're done."

Lucy stared wide-eyed at the boy, who refused to relent. Her breath hitched in her throat at the words, but not in a good way. Despair welled inside of her stomach, knowing that she didn't have a choice in the matter. Hibiki wasn't going to let up, and she shouldn't expect him to. Not with everything she'd done. Wiping away the many tears that washed over her face, she met Hibiki's gaze once more, her brows drooped and her lips tugged into a frown.

"I choose Natsu."

A flash of anger and surprise swept over Hibiki's face at the blonde's words. Scrunching his face in anger, the boy delivered a harsh glare before storming towards the door. He quickly left, slamming the door behind him so harshly it sent vibrations through the floor.

Lucy stood in her spot, the tears she had previously wiped away already coming back. The girl didn't know why she was so pained. She didn't love Hibiki and accepted long ago that she never would. Still, over the last three months of their relationship, she had learned things about life and relationships and shared many happy times with him. Perhaps she was truly sad because now she believed she would never find her soulmate.

After all, if Hibiki couldn't stand her friendship and matching tattoos with Natsu, how would any other boy be able to? All of them would end up forcing her to choose, and in the end she would always choose Natsu. She knew that for sure. Their friendship was the most important thing to her. Plopping onto the couch, the blonde grabbed her pillow and brought it to her face and screamed into it, the pillow muffling her screams and sobs. She knew that she shouldn't be so upset, but she couldn't help it. Thus, she allowed herself the moment of pain and waited for happiness to return.

* * *

Two hours later, Lucy found herself woken up by loud pounds coming from her door. Thinking it was Hibiki, the girl hastily rose from the couch and rushed to the door, swinging it open without hesitation. Instead of Hibiki though, Natsu stood in front of her, his face showing clear worry. With that, she broke into another fit of tears, flinging herself towards the boy and crying onto his chest.

"It's okay," Natsu mumbled, though he had no idea why the girl was crying in the first place. "It's okay, Lucy. I'm here."

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, clenching his shirt tightly.

"Shh, let's sit on the couch," the boy said, lightly dragging her into the living room. Once he sat down, Lucy threw her arms around his neck and cried onto him again. He allowed her to lean onto him and dampen his shirt with her tears. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Lucy shook her head and cuddled closer to him. "No."

"C'mon, Luce."

"No."

Natsu sighed at the girl's stubbornness and lifted her head to meet her gaze. "Please?"

The girl noticed the desperation in his voice and reluctantly nodded, sitting up and straightening herself. She found that she couldn't meet his gaze so instead stared at the carpet floor. With a deep breath, she began her explanation.

"Hibiki broke up with me," Lucy stated.

Natsu sat still, shocked at what the girl said. _He_ broke up with _her?_ How the hell could he break up with somebody as beautiful as her? Lucy was out of his league! While the boy was undoubtedly angry and wanted to find Hibiki to beat him to a pulp, a small part of him felt _happy._ Like he finally had a chance. But he shoved it aside, focusing on his friend instead.

"Why?" he finally questioned. He noticed the way Lucy looked even further away from him.

"B-Because he thinks I'm in love with you," she answered.

Natsu's breath hitched in his throat as butterflies fluttered throughout his stomach. "W-What did you say?"

Lucy turned to face the boy and answered, "I told him I didn't." She was surprised to see him frown and his eyebrows furrow. "I told him I would do anything. But then he told me that I had to choose between you and him."

The girl stared into Natsu's onyx eyes with wonder and her mind began to drift. She thought of the day she first met Natsu. How he helped her without even knowing her. She thought of the times they talked and laughed, all the smiles they shared, all the times she let him sleep in her bed, everything. Their whole time together flashed in her mind. She told him things she never told anyone, she spent more time with him, and found herself happiest when she was around him.

Lucy knew Natsu was brash. He was annoying, cocky, and loud. He always started fights with everyone and had no manners. He wasn't smart, charming, or well-dressed. But he was kind and caring. He showed more concern for her than anyone ever had. He was a great listener and always made her feel heard. He was handsome and funny and was always making her laugh. He was her first everything so far. Her first date- though technically it was a date with Loke and she just spent it with him- and her first kiss. Most importantly, he sported a flaming key tattoo on his back. And just like that, Lucy finally realized something important. Natsu Dragneel was her soulmate. And she was in love with him.

"I chose you…" she breathlessly let out, not intending to. She was lost in his dark eyes, darker and more intriguing than Hibiki's or anyone else's for that matter. Her eyes darted to his lips and lingered on them before returning to his eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu whispered. He was so entranced with her beauty. Her eyes were swollen, her nose was red, and her face was flushed with tears but it didn't matter. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He couldn't fight it anymore. He leaned forward, hoping to close the distance between their lips and inwardly cheered as he saw Lucy lean forward as well, obviously with the same intention. He saw her eyes close and he closed his own as well. Their breaths fanned each other's faces, only inches apart. Their lips were about to meet…

"LUCY! I'M SO SORRY!" a sudden voice cried out from the barged open door.

The said girl jumped away from the boy she was just about to kiss and whipped her head around to find Hibiki rushing towards her. He nodded towards Natsu then stopped in front of her and crouched on one knee.

"Lucy, I am so sorry!" he said as he took her hand into his. "I shouldn't have forced you to choose between me and your best friend! If you say that you don't love Natsu, who am I to say you're lying? I love you, Lucy! I want to be with you!"

"I-I…" Lucy began. She glanced towards Natsu, who stared at her expectantly. Then she looked back towards Hibiki and frowned. He clearly cared about her and wanted her back. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything at all! I don't need your apologies! I'm just glad we're back together!" Hibiki said, bringing the girl in for a hug.

Lucy's eyes widened. Back together? Glancing behind her, she found Natsu staring at her from the couch. She could tell that he was hurt and it pained her deeply. She knew what he was expecting her to do… but she couldn't. She couldn't just break Hibiki's heart after everything she put him through. Not again. He had stayed by her for months even though she focused on another boy, the least she could do was pretend for him. Facing the light-haired boy, she feigned a smile.

"Me too," she lied, her voice barely audible. Lucy cringed when Hibiki's lips planted onto hers. Then she heard her door being opened, then closed. Natsu was gone.

 **AN:** I'M SORRY HAHA IT HAD TO BE DONE THOUGH. Don't worry, Hibiki will leave the story very soon, I promise! Just wait a bit longer! :D But yay I got enough reviews for the last chapter you guys get another sneak peak! :D Here it is:

 _Balling herself up, the blonde let the tears flow from her eyes. The crying actually comforted her now. It cleared her mind and let her think rationally. Lucy knew what she had to do. The girl knew it was late but it had to be done. Picking up her phone, she dialed a familiar number._

 _"Dad," she said once her call was answered. "I'm coming home."_

Well there's the sneak peek! :D Why do you guys think she's going home? :) I dropped very subtle hints about this throughout the story that nobody picked up on yet haha! Hope you enjoyed! :D If I get enough reviews I'll do another sneak peek! :)

 **PineappleText:** Thank you so much! Glad you like it! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** POOR NATSU HAHA. The Nalu will come though!

 **MarSofTheGalaxies:** I mean Lucy really hasn't given him any other choice haha! And oh I know you aren't bashing anything, don't worry. :)

 **Guest:** Good! Go wreck him! That way nalu can happen!

 **1-800fangirl:** Well now you know the sneak peek was real haha! :D And yes you are using the term correctly hahaha! AND YES SHE DID SAY IT AND NOW SHE KNOWS BUT SHE'S STILL BEING A DINGUS.

 **DragonQ:** 1.) I didn't think it was short, it just didn't have the good stuff. ;) 2.) That is exactly what I was going for! :D Thanks for the review!

 **Lunahartz:** Haha it is getting juicy and intense!

 **Musicalocelot:** SHE DIDN'T END HER FRIENDSHIP YAY. But at the same time she's ignoring her true feelings! D: Lucy is just a confused girl at the moment, gotta give her some time! Thanks for the review! :D

 **CrystalDrago:** Hahaha I know! The chapter itself was a cliffhanger and the sneak peek was one too! :D And I know exactly what you mean. I hate and love this chapter. Like, I want the nalu to be here but I like the buildup and the drama haha!

 **Cinder Fall 39:** You're right! She didn't choose a relationship with Hibiki over her friendship with Natsu! But she did choose her relationship with Hibiki over a possible relationship with Natsu! D:

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha well she sorta did! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** Aww I don't think he's too bad! I mean, Lucy really didn't give him any other choice! Haha thanks for another review! :)

 **SingingAngel327:** Haha well at least they're still friends, right? :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much! :D I have a feeling you'll like what's to come! :D

 **Fairy tail fan:** I know, Lucy is just so confused! D: But she'll figure things out! :)

 **Sam1114:** I don't remember him promising that! D: Haha thanks for the review! :D

 **Ashfrenzy:** Thank you so much! :)

 **XxTentenxX179:** Hahaha I know! It was a rocky road for Lucy this chapter! But she'll get her resolve in the next, I promise!

 **Humbleblossom:** Well she realized it this chapter! :D And thank you haha! I actually liked the whole phone call bit!

 **CelestialDragon14:** She technically chose Natsu so yay! :D

 **Ashinsky:** Glad you have faith in Lucy! :D Thanks for the review! :)

 **Grimnack:** I know, she's just in denial. But not anymore! :D She knows her feelings now, she's just ignoring them. *sigh*

 **JTW2014:** You're the only one that said you hope she chooses Hibiki haha! I wasn't expecting that at all! :D Thanks for the review! :)

 **Zexalloverforever39:** True! But Lucy chose Natsu so yay! :D

 **Hal:** Thank you so much! :)

 **Aurawarrior13:** Haha most people want cute already, but it's time for more angst lol!

 **Brynn chan:** You are one of the very few that don't want them to break up hahaha!

 **NaluFan4Life:** PATIENCE IS KEY YOUNG ONE. I update every other day! :D

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** I'm sorry but Natsu and Lucy are meant to be (eventually). Must let him go. :'(

 **Snavej:** It really would be awesome! Like she's been there since they were kids too so I wanna know why! D:


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOU ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE MANGA BUT YOU SHOULD BE BECAUSE I AM GOING CRAZY WAITING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. GOSH IT'S GETTING SOOOO GOOD. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter more than you did the last! :D

Chapter 16

Lucy listened dejectedly as her boyfriend continued to talk about how glad he was they were back together. Her body was numb with pain, her mind replaying the image of Natsu's hurt face. She wanted to go to him. She wanted to run out of her apartment, shouting her newfound love for him. But it was too late. She already hurt him and got back together with Hibiki. The damage was done.

Once Hibiki left, Lucy lazily got ready for bed. The girl tucked herself in but stared at her phone, waiting for it to ring. She and Natsu should've been talking by then, but she couldn't hold it against him. Not after what she had done. Picking up the phone, the blonde decided to call him instead. To her surprise, the ringing stopped and was replaced with a familiar voice.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu's voice greeted cheerily.

Lucy was shocked that he even answered, but the fact that he sounded happy really surprised her. "N-Natsu?"

"What's up?" he asked. His voice was void of any sadness. He was acting like nothing had ever happened between them.

Lucy wouldn't have any of that though. "Natsu, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Don't play dumb, Natsu."

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Luce."

"Natsu, please-"

"Was that all you had to say?" Natsu interrupted seriously. "If so, I think it's time for me to hit the hay."

"I'm sorry," Lucy repeated, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Night, Luce."

And with that, Lucy was met with the unending beep from her phone, signaling that the conversation was over. She messed up. She knew it now. If she could turn back time and go back to when Hibiki interrupted them, she would have politely let him down. But there was no rewind button for life.

A painful image of her past flashed in her mind for the umpteenth time in the past three months. One that she only wished she could forget, and though for a while managed to temporarily remove it for her mind, only resurfaced when she started dating Hibiki. It was then that the girl realized that no matter who she was with- even if she didn't take Hibiki back and chose Natsu- she would never truly be happy. Not until she settled her past issues.

Balling herself up, the blonde let the tears flow from her eyes. The crying actually comforted her now. It cleared her mind and let her think rationally. Lucy knew what she had to do. The girl knew it was late but it had to be done. Picking up her phone, she dialed the familiar number.

"Dad," she said once her call was answered. "I'm coming home."

Lucy studied her appearance in the mirror the next morning. Her eyes were incredibly swollen and her nose was red, but it didn't matter. It was Friday, her last day of school before the weekend. Since her father was busy Friday and Saturday, she would travel on Sunday instead. Dejectedly slipping on her uniform and skipping breakfast, the girl left and began her tedious day of school.

Once she entered the classroom, she could tell that Levy and Juvia were worried about her, but luckily they didn't ask. If they did, she would just cry again, and that wouldn't be pleasant for any of them.

When school finally ended, Lucy bid her two friends farewell for the weekend and headed back to her apartment. During the walk, she sent a text to Hibiki, urging him to come over immediately. What was going to happen next was going to be rough, but it needed to be done. Soon enough, he arrived.

"Hello, Lucy!" Hibiki greeted, pecking the girl's cheek gently.

"Hibiki…" the blonde hesitantly began. She urged herself to continue, but her mouth stayed clamped shut.

"I know what it is," the boy began, surprising the girl. "You want to go on a date!"

Lucy sighed and was about to deny it but was already being dragged out of her apartment. Surely she could entertain him one last time. The girl followed as she was led through the streets of Magnolia. The sunny days were starting to get shorter, making way for the moon to rise. With it, a cold breeze blew throughout town. The shivering blonde hoped that their last date would be indoors so she wouldn't freeze to death before resolving things. With no such luck, she found herself being dragged into a large grassy field on the outskirts of town. Plopping down next to her boyfriend, Lucy took a deep breath, watching the sky grow darker.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Hibiki asked with a small smile as he stared at the sky as well, waiting for stars to appear.

"It is," Lucy agreed.

"Would you mind if we just laid here for a while? Just enjoy each other's company?"

The girl hesitated. She wanted to get it done with already, but nodded. "Sure."

So they laid in the grass in complete silence, watching the sky change colors. Lucy ignored the cold breeze the best she could but couldn't stop her body from shivering. Hibiki smiled at her and generously gave the girl his coat. Two hours passed by in content silence until finally stars habited the sky. Lucy took that as her cue to start.

"Hibiki-"

"You love him, don't you?" the light-haired boy interrupted. His gaze was still locked to the stars and his gentle smile was still on his face.

Lucy frowned and nodded. She refused to lie to him or herself any longer. "I do."

Hibiki sighed and propped himself on his elbows. "Then what are you doing with me, Lucy?"

"…I don't know..."

"Let me tell you why I transferred to Magnolia High," Hibiki said.

Lucy was surprised that his smile never left his face. She nodded, prompting him to continue.

"I went to a private school like you, Blue Pegasus Academy. Though, mine wasn't an all-boys school. I don't think I would've survived if it was," he said, followed by a chuckle. "Anyways, I had friends there. I was happy. But I had to transfer to Magnolia High because my parents were worried about me and said I needed a new scenery."

Hibiki's smile finally started to disappear and was replaced with a saddened frown. "You see, I was a womanizer. I'm sure your friends warned you about me and they were right. I flirted, had sex, and abandoned them. Truth be told, I was going to do the same with you. But you were too kind and caring, I couldn't help but want to try to be in a relationship again and it was clear you didn't care about your tattoo and that was why you wanted to be with me."

"You see, I had a soulmate too. Her name was Karen. I loved Karen very much and eventually we started to date. But Karen had flaws. Deep flaws. She was addicted to drugs and actually cheated on me countless times. That was probably why I was so worried about your friendship with Natsu, because I thought you were going to cheat on me too. Anyways, the tattoos we are blessed with at the age of sixteen are great. They tell you who you're destined to be with. But you know what they don't tell you? What you're supposed to do when your soulmate dies."

Lucy gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Tears pricked her eyes and her heart ached for the boy next to her. "K-Karen…"

"Yes, she died. Her addiction was her downfall. Anyways, after that I started to lose myself. I started looking for meaningless flings and I hurt girls the way Karen hurt me. I was lost and even my best friends didn't know how to help me. I was getting worse and worse until one day the flings weren't enough. I was going to start doing drugs like Karen, see what it was so good she lost her life for. Luckily my parents caught me right before I could inject it into my system. After that, they sent me here, hoping that I could start over here. I wasn't going to change my ways with women, but then I met you."

"Hibiki…" Lucy began, wiping away the few tears that escaped her eyes. "I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," the boy interrupted, shining a bright smile at the girl. "Remember my rule? I only flirt with girls that don't care about their tattoos. _You_ clearly do. Listen Lucy, I lost my soulmate. _Yours_ is still out there. I'll be fine. Who knows, maybe I'll meet another girl that also lost their soulmate and I'll be happy with her."

"What are you going to do now?" the blonde questioned.

"I'm going to go home," Hibiki answered. "You helped me, Lucy. I'm still going to be a womanizer, of course. But I see the good in the world again, thanks to you. I may not have been able to fall in love with you, but I was able to see what good you bring to the world. What about you? What are you going to do now?"

Lucy sighed and stared into the sky. "Same as you. I'm going home." While she expected the boy to urge her to find Natsu, what he said next shocked her to the core. Her eyes bulged from their sockets and she whipped her head to face him. "H-How did you know about that?"

Hibiki chuckled and answered, "Let's just say I am one with the archives. Anyways, promise me that after you take care of that, you go find your true soulmate."

The blonde smiled and nodded. "I promise. Here, let me do you a favor before I leave. I am breaking up with you. When you go back, you can play the sympathy card. Girls love it."

With one last laugh, the two hugged and parted ways. Lucy walked quickly back to her apartment, knowing very well what she had to do. In two days, she was going to go home and fix everything. Throwing open her door, the blonde let out a shrill shriek as she saw someone sitting on her couch, seemingly waiting for her.

"E-Erza, what are you doing here!?" she screeched, marching up to the much-too comfortable redhead. "How did you even get in here!?"

The other girl shrugged and answered, "The fireplace. Anyways, sit Lucy. We have some important manners to discuss."

Lucy sighed and asked, "Can it wait? I have to start packing."

"I'm afraid it cannot."

The blonde arched a brow but obliged and sat on the sofa beside the redhead. "What is it?"

"It is about Natsu. I have known for a while now that you and Natsu are soulmates. And before you interrupt me, let me tell you that Hibiki is _not_ your soulmate. The tattoos never lie."

"I know, Erza-"

"Listen, Lucy. Natsu is a dense idiot, I know. But he cares deeply about you in ways that he hasn't cared for anyone. I have known him since we were children and I can say with absolute certainty that he loves you. He is always watching you, making sure that you have a good time and it is hurting him that you are with Hibiki."

"I-I know…"

"Which is why you have to break up with Hibiki," Erza announced. "You may not be aware of it, but you are in love with Natsu. In fact, you probably felt a connection the moment you met, correct?"

 _Lucy stared at the boy with wonder. His pink hair was spiky and untamed though part of his bangs were slicked up. It was painfully clear that he didn't care about his appearance as he wore a strange coat that only had one sleeve that revealed his well-sculpted abs. Lastly, a checkered scarf was wrapped around his neck despite the fact that it was nowhere near cold outside. Just then, Natsu turned his attention to the blonde, who was still staring at him. Onyx eyes bore into brown as the two stared at each other with wonder. The girl could swear she felt something bubbling in her stomach but shrugged it off._

"Whoa, I guess I did," Lucy finally replied. If only she knew then that the bubbling in her stomach was her body telling her that her soulmate was in front of her. The amount of time they could've saved would've been helpful. "How did you know?"

The redhead smiled and answered, "I had the same thing happen to me when I met Jellal. I assume Levy did as well considering I caught her blushing at Gajeel the first day they met."

"I remember that too!"

"Yes, it is a strange feeling, but it happens to everyone. So now that you know Natsu is in love with you and that you two are soulmates, will you end things with Hibiki?"

The blonde giggled and answered, "Actually, we just broke up before I got here."

"You did?"

"Yep! Because I'm in love with Natsu."

Lucy's stomach flipped as she said that. It was weird saying aloud for the first time and she wondered if she would ever get used to it. Turning her attention back towards Erza, the blonde stifled a laugh seeing the blush spread across her face.

"T-That's great!" the redhead finally exclaimed. "Then you need to go and tell Natsu! Now!"

"Can't do that."

Erza raised a brow and questioned, "Why not?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucy braced herself to share the one secret she hadn't told anybody. The one secret that haunted her for years. The one secret that needed to be resolved before she could be happy with Natsu.

"I'm engaged."

 **AN:** I was going to end the chapter before the Erza part but decided to add it in so that you guys didn't have to wait to find out the big secret haha! :D Just as promised, Hibiki is officially out of the story! :D Got enough reviews again so here is another sneak peek! I ACTUALLY GOT A LOT OF REVIEWS SO YAY! :D

 _Jellal nodded and smiled at his girlfriend. They had been together shortly over two months, and those two months had been the best time of his entire life. Not only had he been fully forgiven for his past crimes by Erza, he also allowed himself forgiveness. Life was great, and he only wanted it to get even better._

There's the sneak peek! :D I was asked for a Jerza moment and the next chapter is when I decided it would fit! :D Hope you all enjoyed! Please review and make my day awesome! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Just call me Hiro Mashima with how I let couples get so close and then tear them apart the last second! :D

 **Guest:** I agree! Exes shouldn't be taken back! Except just this once for my story! ;D

 **Aidansidhe:** Haha that was a good one! :D But nope his soulmate was Karen! :D

 **:** Yes he is indecisive! But at least he's gone now! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** SOOOO close, I know! But it wasn't ready yet! Soon!

 **Hal:** Haha thank you so much! :D All will be fixed eventually! :D

 **Zexalloverforever39:** OH YOU WATCHED BLEACH!? NICE. But hey mine will have a happy ending at least! :D

 **MaidenAlice:** I don't think anyone did haha! :D

 **Mirjam:** Thank you! :D I truly believe that if they were in this situation, neither of them would want a relationship together at all, that's why Hibiki is there! :D And I update every other day! :)

 **Sleepingbeauty445:** Omg your review was crazy haha! Poor Happy! But Lucy will be back soon! :D

 **DragonQ:** Well as long as it's good that's good enough for me! :D

 **XxTentenxX179:** *removes pillow and throws it back* IT HAS TO BE DONE! ALL WILL BE FIXED... EVENTUALLY! :D

 **Grimnack:** Yes, she did just do that. But I will just leave you in denial! :D

 **Sam1114:** Haha thanks for another lovely review! :D

 **Guest:** I know it was a painful ending, but gotta endure the angst to get to the cutesy stuff!

 **Fairy tail fan:** Good guesses but now you know why she's going home! :D And don't worry, Lucy has changed her mind. :)

 **MirrorFlame:** Oh you're watching that now!? It's a great show! :D My favorite character was one of the twins but I forgot his name haha!

 **PineappleText:** I'M GLAD YOU THINK SO. :'D

 **ZzMiya-chanzz:** Thank you haha! I personally like Hibiki haha! If I'm telling the truth I don't think he's done anything too bad in this story! Like yeah he made Lucy choose between him and Natsu but did he really have any other choice with how much Lucy was in love with Natsu haha? :D

 **Alexa60765:** Did you figure it out in time? :D

 **CelestialDragon14:** Goodbye Hibiki! :D Yay!

 **Aurawarrior13:** THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 **Lunahartz:** Thanks sis. It'll get better eventually. :')

 **Brynn chan:** Haha well glad you got some HiLu but now it's over! :D

 **ToastedWeirdBrain:** Thank you haha! But hey, it needed to be made so that she could figure out some stuff! :D

 **Zeiyuu:** THANK YOU SO MUCH WOW WHAT A GREAT COMPLIMENT!

 **Winterbirdy:** YOU WILL GET YOUR HEART BACK EVENTUALLY! FOR NOW YOU MUST SUFFER! SORRY!

 **Guest:** Hello! Thank you for your wonderful constructive criticism! :) And YES. I completely thought about that and that is why I rewrote that chapter so many times but I kept going back to the idea! While the reason Lucy took Hibiki back was childish, the end result was what I needed! Because of that, she realized she wouldn't be happy with ANY boy until she works out her past- which is the engagement. Also, in regards to Hibiki, I actually made him more like a gentleman in this fic while in his past he was a playboy! :D See, he was actually a great boyfriend (taking her on dates, completely loyal, respectful and patient) up until the end, so I think that he was actually quite nice. :) Thank you again for the criticism, it will help me in my later stories. :)

 **AnnaYasashii:** AT LEAST HE'S GONE NOW YAY! :D

 **Ae rie chan:** Good guesses but nope! :D

 **Musicalocelot:** IT DID END IN TEARS BUT ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT REVELATIONS SO IT WAS KINDA NECESSARY! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW! IT WILL GET BETTER... EVENTUALLY!


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Oh wow sorry for everyone who wanted to be updated about Lucy's engagement, I didn't realize how much Jerza this chapter had in it until now haha! Oh well I love Jerza soooo. :) Hope you all enjoy! :D

Chapter 17

"Y-You're what?"

"I'm engaged."

"H-How is this possible? You're only sixteen! You've never even said anything about it since we've met!"

"Because I've been keeping it a secret."

Lucy sighed as she tried to keep things simple with Erza. The redhead looked as though she were about to pass out from shock.

"Listen, Erza. I'm going home on Sunday to fix all of this," Lucy said. "I can't be with Natsu until I am free of this damned engagement. I can't just ignore it anymore or else I'll always be scared of being taken away or Natsu regretting his choice of being with me if he found out. I don't want to cheat on Natsu at all. So I'm going to end all of this and then come home and beg for Natsu's forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Erza questioned. "Why would Natsu be mad at you?"

The blonde chuckled and answered, "Well, the truth is, Hibiki broke up with me yesterday. T-Then Natsu came over and we almost kissed, but then Hibiki came in and asked for me back and I said yes…"

Erza blinked once, then twice. With sudden swiftness, she brought her fist quickly to collide with the side of the blonde's head. "Why would you do that!?"

Lucy groaned and rubbed the soon-to-be bruised spot. "Because I didn't want to hurt Hibiki again and I guess I was just scared of ruining my friendship with Natsu! If we got together and then broke up, what would happen to our friendship? I would rather just stay friends with him and ignore my feelings for him than lose my friendship with him!"

The other girl sighed and replied, "That is understandable, but you need to know that you can't hide your feelings forever. You two are soulmates and you will be together in the end. Believe me, I tried my hardest not to fall for Jellal at first-"

"You did?"

"Yes. But in the end, I couldn't fight it, and now I regret all the time I spent trying. Because in the end, I could've spent that time happily with him. So here is what you're going to do. You're going to fix this engagement, then come back and beg for Natsu's forgiveness. Though I'm sure he'll forgive you right away. He doesn't hold grudges and he's in love with you, it shouldn't be too hard."

"Thanks, Erza!"

"It was good talking to you. I shall be on my way now."

As soon as Lucy was alone, she immediately went to work. She wouldn't need much, after all she would only spending one day there. Tossing an outfit and her toiletries into her bag, the girl was ready to go. All she had to do now was wait.

* * *

Erza took her time on the way home. It turned out Lucy lived on the complete opposite side of Magnolia, but it didn't matter. The redhead was happy to help her two dear friends find love. Their story was complicated, she knew that. But at least it wasn't as much of a rocky start as her story with Jellal. A sudden beep sounded from her pocket, bringing the girl out of her thoughts as her boyfriend was calling.

"Hello Jellal," Erza shyly greeted.

"Did you finish talking to Lucy?" the boy questioned.

"I did. Why?"

"Let's meet up. I want to see you."

A deep blush spread across the girl's face, perfectly matching her scarlet hair. "B-But it's late!"

Jellal chuckled softly and replied, "It's Friday. C'mon, I have a surprise for you."

With that said, Erza smiled and said, "Alright, text me the details."

Upon receiving the directions of where to go, the girl changed route and headed for an all too familiar park. This was where she met Jellal in the first place when they were children, before she met Natsu and the others. He was her first friend, the one that brought her out of her life of solitude. Before Jellal was influenced by evil around him.

Shaking her head, Erza urged herself not to think of the past. It was something that she hated doing, something that she willed herself to move on from. The girl promised herself she would never forget, but it wasn't something she liked spending her time dwelling about. Especially now that Jellal had made amends for her actions and even more so since Simon woke from his coma. Things were okay and she would move on ever so slowly.

"Erza," Jellal's voice called out to her.

The said girl turned her head to find Jellal swinging on one of the few swings that weren't ruined by kids. Smiling, Erza approached the boy and sat in the swing next to him.

"This brings back great memories," she stated, craning her neck to look into the night sky.

"It does," Jellal replied. "This is where you and I first met."

"And where we've had our first kiss," Erza added, blushing as she reminisced.

"That is correct. How was talking to Lucy?"

The redhead chuckled and answered, "Turns out she didn't need my help at all. She has some… _issues_ to work out on her own, but after that I believe it will be smooth sailing for them."

"I hope it's nothing too complicated."

"Oh, it is. But I have complete faith they'll work through it."

Jellal nodded and smiled at his girlfriend. They had been together shortly over two months, and those two months had been the best time of his entire life. Not only had he been fully forgiven for his past crimes by Erza, he also allowed himself forgiveness. Life was great, and he only wanted it to get even better.

Fumbling with the box in his pocket, a deep blush spread across Jellal's cheek. Thankfully Erza was too entranced by the starry sky to notice. He didn't know what was going to be the result of tonight, but he knew what he wanted. With a shaky breath, the boy rose from his swing and stood in front of his girlfriend.

"Erza," he began, forcing himself to meet her eyes, "I've been completely in love with you since I was a child."

"Jellal, what are you-"

"We've known each other for over ten years, and not once have my feelings for you changed. Even when I was dragged into the darkness, I knew that I loved you. And you were always there for me and you were the one that dragged me back into the light. I know that my past is harsh and it hurts you to this day, but I know you and I can work around it."

With another nervous breath, he continued, "Erza, you are the strongest girl I have ever met. But more importantly, you are kind. You put others above yourself always and for that I will always love you. I-I know that I am graduating this year, and I know that long distance will be challenging…" Jellal pulled the velvet box out of his pocket and got on one knee, ignoring the shocked gasp of his girlfriend and continued, "I know that we have only officially been together two months, but I've loved you for over ten years and I hope this ring will make our time away from each other until you graduate school easier." Opening the box and revealing a simple yet elegant diamond ring, Jellal finished, "Erza Scarlet, will you marry me?"

Erza's jaw dropped to the ground as she stared at the sparkly ring with teary eyes, her vision blurring by the second. Her heart felt so light as happiness coursed through her veins. Though she always pretended not to be interested in these kinds of things, the girl always dreamed of getting married. And now her soulmate was crouched on one knee in front of her, proposing sweetly. But…

"Jellal, I cannot marry you," she finally said. Her heart broke seeing pain flash through the boy's face and quickly began to make amends. "Not yet, I mean."

Jellal smiled and replied, "We can simply be engaged then."

Erza returned the smile but said, "Not yet. I am only seventeen, I am far too young to be engaged. I just found out that somebody I know is engaged and my heart broke for her. I found her too young and knew it wasn't right. I don't want the same for me. However… I suppose that next year when I graduate high school and attend the same college as you… there's no reason for us not to be engaged."

Jellal's smile widened deeply and he stood up. Closing the velvet box, he shoved the ring back into his pocket. "Next year then."

"Next year."

The couple stared at each other in content until Jellal swooped in and landed a chaste kiss on girl's lips.

"It's a deal then, Erza."

The said girl nodded in agreement and leaned in for another kiss, only to be distracted by a phone call. Levy's name flashed on the screen, causing the redhead to arch a brow considering Levy had never called her before.

"Levy?" she asked as she answered the call.

"Erza!" Levy's shrill voice called out. "I have some bad news!"

"What is it?"

"Lu-chan and Natsu are fighting!"

"Where did you hear this from? Did Lucy tell you?"

"No, Juvia did! She heard it from Gray- who is apparently Natsu's roommate, I didn't know that- and I guess Gray figured it out when Natsu came home! I guess he started breaking things and is throwing a tantrum!"

Erza chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about it, Levy. Things will work out soon. Lucy and Hibiki broke up-"

"THEY WHAT!? HOW COULD LU-CHAN NOT TELL ME!? I'm going to call her right now!"

"No, don't! Lucy has some things she needs to take care of."

"Oh," came Levy's simple reply. "Well, this just makes things so much easier now that Lu-chan and Hibiki broke up! I'll start strategizing for our next plan!"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Sunday morning came by quickly for Lucy as she woke up with fierce determination. Rushing to get ready, the blonde threw on her outfit for the day: a long, pink ankle-length dress that showed absolutely no amount of cleavage. After all, she was going to be visiting her traditional father and already had some news that was going to upset him, she shouldn't make it any worse with her typical skimpy outfits. Brushing her teeth and combing her hair, she was finally ready. She grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, headed for the train station.

Once on the train, Lucy allowed her head to rest on the window. Her stomach continually churned though unlike her soulmate, it wasn't because of motion sickness. Instead, it was because she was finally going to reveal her biggest secret and more than likely meet her fiancé, the one that nobody knew about. Could her day get any more stressful?

Lucy wanted to leave and abort the mission several times, but one thing kept her going: the flaming key on her back. With knowledge and acceptance that Natsu was her soulmate, the girl had enough courage to force herself to stay on track. It needed to be done if she was going to have a happy relationship with Natsu.

A couple hours later, Lucy found herself standing outside the grand mansion she used to call home. A plethora of memories ran through the girl's mind, times of when she was with her mother and times of when she was fighting with her father. Good and bad times, though she wouldn't have changed anything. They made her who she was today and thanks to that, she was able to meet Natsu. With a deep breath, the blonde steadily entered the house.

"I'm home."

 **AN:** More on the engagement next chapter! :D I can't reply to everyone's reviews because FF isn't showing me them, it's just showing that people reviewed. But thanks for the reviews, here is another sneak peek! :D

 _At that, Natsu immediately sat up and locked gazes with Erza. His interest was piqued at the mention of his favorite blonde and if it was so important they actually had a meeting at the pub, he knew he needed to listen. Worry began to ebb at him._

 _"What about Lucy?" he finally asked with a hard gaze, never looking away from Erza's eyes._

Oooh, does Erza tell him about the engagement or not? Find out next chapter! ;D

 **Alexa60765:** THANK YOU SO MUCH AS ALWAYS! :D

 **Fairy tail fan:** Oh, sorry can't find out who she is engaged to yet! :D That'll come later! :)

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Haha glad you liked it! And I hope the Jerza moment was good for you! :D

 **DragonQ:** See, my quick updates should make all my cliffhangers okay! :D Because then you guys don't have to wait too long to find out. :)

 **Cheschire-Kaat:** Thank you so much! Hope you liked the Jerza! :D

 **Rose Tiger:** What a great reaction haha! All will be fixed eventually. :)

 **Grimnack:** I've been hinting it for a while but nobody has picked up! :D glad you're all surprised! :D

 **MaidenAlice:** Yep she's engaged! And you'll have to find out later to who! :D And while yes the soulmate tattoos are important to some people, not everyone cares about them! For example, Lucy and Natsu didn't wanna be together at first despite their tattoos! Jude never really cared about any of that for his daughter back then!

 **Johnny Spectre:** I know, typical Jude. *sighs*

 **ToastedWeirdBrain:** Glad you liked it! :D And I have been hinting at it. :)

 **Musicalocelot:** Nobody was expecting it haha! I tried to drop hints but nobody was picking them up haha! :D And thank you hope you love the Jerza moment! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Yes, blame Jude! And also yes, at least Hibiki is out of the picture! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** You'll have to find out about Natsu next chapter. ;D

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU SO MUCH I ALWAYS LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM IT'S GREAT!

 **Lunahartz:** Take your time to adjust to Lucy's engagement haha! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Not at all haha! :D Everyone ships them!

 **:** Thank you haha! Hopefully the Jerza moment is enough happiness for now!

 **Sam1114:** Wow favorite author? That's so awesome you have no idea. :')

 **AsunaLucy:** Ahhh thank you so much! :D

 **Beautifullove321:** Seems like nobody was. But it had to be done! :D

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** NOW THERE'S EVEN MORE JERZA YAY!

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** I WILL WRITE I PROMISE! BUT THERE WILL BE MORE CLIFFHANGERS! :D In exchange, I can promise you eventual Nalu. :D

 **Dark Mystique:** Hope you liked the chapter! :D

 **XxTentenxX179:** HAHAHA I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS. And while all of the Hibiki stuff wasn't originally planned when I thought of the story, the engagement has been a plan since day one so all of the cliffhangers will be amazing cliffhangers! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Of course they'll get a happy ending! :D It'll just take a while to get there! :D I can't deal with the thought of a sad Nalu story haha!

 **Hal:** BECAUSE IT IS ENTERTAINING. Haha thank you for another review! :D


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Alright, we get to see some of Natsu this chapter! :D

Chapter 18

Lucy strode confidently through the wide halls of her old home and towards her father's study. Before she would have been upset that her father didn't greet her at the door, but she knew that he was still learning. And in this case, the girl was glad he didn't because it gave herself time to calm her nerves and plan what she was going to say. Much to her chagrin, the walk didn't last long enough as the blonde found herself standing outside the grand doors to the study.

"Father?" Lucy called out as she knocked politely on the door.

A few seconds later, the door threw open, Jude standing in the doorway with a wide smile.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed. "It is great to see you! I've planned a whole day for us together!"

Lucy's heart warmed at her father's efforts, but she quickly reminded herself of the plan.

"Father," the girl began, "please sit down. There is something I need to discuss with you."

Jude arched a brow but obliged and sat behind his desk, motioning for his daughter to sit in front of him. "What is it?"

Lucy took a deep breath, her hands clenching her dress tightly. As an image of Natsu flashed in her mind, she urged herself to speak. "F-Father, there is something I have to confess. I-I am engaged."

Jude stared blankly at his daughter, seemingly deafened upon her words. Engaged? That wasn't right. Surely this must be a fun prank. Seeing his daughter's serious face, his stomach dropped to the floor. Eyebrows furrowing and fists clenching, the man felt himself growing angrier by the second. Then, he slammed onto his desk with all of his might.

"Lucy!" he shouted, ignoring the way she flinched at his sudden volume. "Why do you think I sent you to an all-girls school!? It's so that you didn't throw your life away for some ruffian boy! What kind of engagement is-"

" _You_ set it up, Father," Lucy interrupted, relieved that his angry expression morphed into one of confusion.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

The blonde sighed as she recalled the day that her fate was decided against her will.

 _Lucy ran throughout the horrid mansion, appalled after hearing that her own father attempted to marry her off to yet another wealthy family. Rushing for her dear life, the girl quickly ran out of the mansion and towards their mailbox. Thankfully her father was at work and he wouldn't catch her checking for the mail as she always did._

 _Whenever Jude tried to arrange a marriage, Lucy would always disgust the families by acting improper and downright disgusting. Families always sent letters, politely declining her father's request. Lucy would then sneak to the mailbox and intercept the letters to make sure they didn't inform her father that she acted unkempt so as to save herself from a harsh scolding. But one day, it wasn't a decline. It was a letter of acceptance. Somebody had agreed to marry her, meaning that they were officially engaged through contract._

 _"We are honored to accept your proposal. Our only son, Ulquiorra, will be wed to your daughter upon reply. We shall wait patiently and eagerly for your reply."_

 _Underneath was a neatly scribbled signature, showing that all was set._

 _Lucy stared at the contract, tears cascading her eyes and falling onto the flimsy sheet of paper. The paper that had decided her future. This was it. She was going to be wed to some jerk that only wanted her money and would never find love herself. She would be a damned trophy wife, never truly happy and a slave to her husband. All because of her father._

 _Then it hit her. All Lucy had to do was hide the contract. Sure, technically she would still be engaged, but as long as they never replied, she would never have to go through with the actual wedding. As long as she hid the contract from her father, he would think that they were rejected once again._

 _From that point forward, Lucy snuck out of the mansion every day at the brink of dawn and intercepted the mail. The family sent plenty of follow up letters, wondering why they hadn't been wed yet and wondering for their reply. But eventually, the letters stopped coming, relieving the girl that the whole ordeal was over._

 _Well, not completely. By signing the contract, the other family had made the engagement official. But she didn't care. Lucy could lie time and time again, even to herself that it wasn't real. That it never happened and that she could move on. And when she made amends with her father, that's exactly what she did._

After retelling the story to her father, Lucy waited patiently for his reaction. Jude was clearly distraught, his head buried in his hands after he finished his glass of whiskey.

"This is all my fault," the man finally muttered.

Lucy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and argued, "No. I am partly to blame. I should've been honest with you and told you to turn them down."

Jude met his daughter's eyes, tears filling his own as he shot back, "And I wouldn't have listened to you then! I would've had you married off and miserable! I cannot believe I was such a terrible father."

Tears welled up in the blonde's eyes as well. "Father, the reason why I told you this today is because I want to officially end this engagement. I met my soulmate…"

"You what?"

"I met him, Papa. And I fell in love with him and I wish to spend my life with him, not some stranger."

While Jude wanted to scold his daughter for forgetting his lecture on her birthday, he instead asked, "What's his name?"

Lucy smiled and answered, "Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."

"Dragneel, huh? Never heard of it. Is he rich?"

A weak laugh escaped the girl's mouth as she shook her head. "Not at all."

"But you love him?"

"I do."

"Are you positive?"

"I am."

"Are you _sure_ you're sure?"

"Yes, Papa!" Lucy exclaimed, giggling at her father's stubbornness. "I would like you to meet him one day."

"I would too, after the background check," Jude replied, smiling at his daughter.

"The what?"

"Oh nothing. Anyways, you and I have an engagement to end, don't we?"

Lucy grinned, beyond ecstatic that her father was helping her with this. Two years ago he would've just sent her off, but now he was helping her. She had really come a long way since then. She made amends with her father, made friends, and found her soulmate. All she had to do was settle this one pesky problem.

"Let's go."

* * *

Natsu dejectedly sat at their normal table in Fairy Tail. All of his friends were there, all that was missing was Lucy. He hadn't talked to her since Thursday night when she had called him to apologize. Since then, the boy was an absolute wreck. Every day he would lay in bed, only to get up to go to the bathroom or throw a temper tantrum that resulted in breaking some things. He hadn't eaten nor had he gone to school.

Natsu spent Thursday night crying to himself, though he would never admit it to anyone. He was just so hurt watching Lucy choose Hibiki and he needed time to himself to process things. Now that it was Sunday, the boy still wasn't sure if he was ready to see the girl that hurt him, but knew that it was time to stop moping. Thus, he followed Gray out of their apartment and obediently entered the pub.

At first Natsu was glad that Lucy wasn't there. But soon after, he became disappointed. He spent the last two days missing her so much he felt like he was going to explode. The empty seat beside him just played as a constant reminder of what happened between them.

"Yo, Natsu," Gray called out, skipping out on his usual nicknames since his frenemy was glum.

"What?" the pink-haired boy uninterestedly asked.

"Erza has something to say so listen," the other boy commanded. "She said that it had something to do with Lucy."

At that, Natsu immediately sat up and locked gazes with Erza. His interest was piqued at the mention of his favorite blonde and if it was so important they actually had a meeting at the pub, he knew he needed to listen. Worry began to ebb at him.

"What about Lucy?" he finally asked with a hard gaze, never looking away from Erza's eyes.

The redhead sighed. She didn't want to spill something so personal to Lucy, but knew that it needed to be done in order to get Natsu out of the house and eating again. When Gray told her he hadn't eaten or drank anything in days, she knew he needed a reason to get out of the house.

"I will tell you when you finish eating," Erza answered as Mira placed a plate of hot wings and a glass of water in front of the boy.

Natsu scowled and shouted, "I don't want to eat! Just tell me about Lucy already!"

Erza matched his expression and replied, "No. Not until you eat."

The two continued to stare at each other, a low growl escaping Natsu's mouth. Knowing that the redhead wasn't going to change her mind, he grumpily picked up a hot wing and began to eat. After tasting the delicious meat, the boy's mouth began to water and he found himself eating faster and faster, practically inhaling each wing in matters of seconds. Downing the glass of water, the pinkette grinned as he finished his meal. Admittedly, he felt much better and reenergized.

"Alright, now you can tell me about Lucy," Natsu said.

Erza nodded and cleared her throat. She knew that her friends weren't going to take this particularly well, especially Natsu, but eventually said, "Lucy is engaged."

Three… Two… One…

"WHAT!?" the whole table chorused.

"What do you mean she's engaged!?" Gray questioned, beginning to strip.

"There's no way! Lu-chan would've told me!" Levy argued.

"Is it to Hibiki?" Juvia asked.

Natsu stayed silent, his mouth gaping and eyes widened. He tightly clenched onto his baggy pants and shut his eyes closed, not wanting to deal with any of this any longer. Lucy was engaged? Did Hibiki actually propose? Did she actually say yes after they almost kissed again? The boy's head felt heavy and all he wanted to do was scream. And break things. And kill Lucy's fiancé.

"It can't be Hibiki," Levy said, bringing the boy out of his violent thoughts. "They broke up!"

"They did!?" Lisanna questioned, to which the petite girl nodded.

"They did," Erza repeated.

"Wait, then who the hell is she engaged to?" Gray asked, already only clad in his boxers.

The redhead shook her head and answered, "I do not know. She did not tell me who. She only told me that she was going back home to end it."

"Back home? That means she's going to Acalypha!" Levy exclaimed. "Which is where her father lives… I got it!" The whole table stared at the petite girl expectantly, Gajeel nudging her to continue. "Most of you guys don't know this, but Lu-chan's dad used to try to arrange her marriage."

"Didn't you say that she would always ruin them though?" Gajeel inquired.

"That's what she said…" Levy replied, deep in thought. "But remember I told you that she actually was engaged once!? That's it! She told me that she got out of it, but I'm guessing she lied! I'm guessing she's been engaged all these years and just said that she got out of it to not raise suspicion!"

"So she was forcibly engaged to some man she didn't love," Jellal said. Now he knew who his girlfriend was talking about the prior night.

"That's gotta be it!"

There was a loud, sudden slam on the table as everyone looked to find Natsu. His face was scrunched undoubtedly in anger, the empty glass he had just drank from now tipped over.

"So she's engaged, huh?" he grinded out. "Interesting."

With that said, Natsu began to march out of the pub, only to be stopped by a cold hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Gray asked worriedly.

"I'm getting Lucy back," the boy seethed, tearing away from his friend's grip.

"Natsu wait!" Erza demanded. "You don't even know where she is! All we know is that she's in Acalypha!"

"I don't care!" Natsu shouted back. "She shouldn't be engaged to some guy she doesn't love! She's _my_ soulmate and I'm getting her back!"

With a loud slam of the door, Natsu was out on the streets of Magnolia towards the train station. He was absolutely livid, his movements fueled by anger.

" _So she thinks she can make me fall in love with her and almost kiss me only to be engaged to another guy huh?"_ he thought as he marched in the direction of the wretched train station. " _Well then she's got another thing coming! I'm dragging her back here and she is going to be mine!"_

 **AN:** Natsu is so angry and in love. :') I still can't read anyone's reviews but I do know how many of you review a chapter so I can still do sneak peeks if I get enough reviews. :) I don't know who is reviewing or what you guys are saying but thank you all anyways! Your reviews always make my day and encourage me to write more. :') Also, quick announcement, I just posted a Nashi story in case anyone is interested and I also just finished my other Nalu story. :')


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** GUYS THE REVIEWS ARE FINALLY WORKING AGAIN YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THAT MAKES ME! :D Ugh it's been so long since I could read your reviews they all make me so happy and motivate me to write more. :')

Chapter 19

Lucy rode silently in the family's limousine, her father seated beside her. The girl was anxious to meet the man she was engaged to. After all, she was bound to him by contract. What if they refused? What if they forced her to marry their son? The blonde placed her hand over her churning stomach, feeling the urge to hurl. She had never felt sicker in her life, including the time she woke up with an awful hangover from her drinking contest with Cana. A hand was placed reassuringly on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," her father's voice soothingly called out. "We will fix this."

Tears that Lucy wasn't even aware of slid down her cheeks as she asked, "What if we can't? What if I'm stuck with the guy forever?"

"I won't let that happen. If it is money they want, I will gladly give them all that I have for your freedom," Jude answered, a caring smile gracing his lips. He had never felt more like a doting parent before in his life, despite the fact that they were in this whole situation thanks to him.

"Thank you, Papa. Capricorn, do you mind driving a little faster? I would like to get this over as quickly as possible."

The middle-aged chauffeur- who had always been one of Lucy's servants- nodded and pushed harder on the accelerator. Lucy stared out the window, watching as they drove past their luscious garden. Apparently the other family lived a whole forty minutes away by car, and fifteen of those minutes were spent just leaving the Heartfilia property.

Once they finally reached the other mansion- which was not nearly as big as her father's- Lucy forced her wobbly legs outside the car. To her chagrin, they were too shaky and the blonde found herself falling forward. Luckily Capricorn caught her just in time with such swiftness she never knew he had.

"Good luck, Lady Lucy," he said, helping the said girl to her feet. Once it was clear she could stand on her own, he removed his hands and delivered a respectful bow.

Lucy smiled at her servant and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Capricorn." Pulling away and looking towards her father, she nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Natsu crawled determinedly off the train, his anger leading him. Falling onto the ground he missed so dearly, the boy cheered and literally kissed the ground joyfully. Ignoring the crazed looks of those around him, he pushed himself to his feet and marched with no clear destination in mind. So, the impatient teen did what he thought was best.

As Natsu walked farther away from the train station and on a dirt path near a smaller town, he began to yell with all his might.

"Lucy!" he shouted. Surely Acalypha couldn't be that big, right? She had to be around here somewhere. "Luce! Where are you?" Everyone around him urged him to be quiet, but he ignored them. "Lucy! Damn it! LUCY HEARTFILIA, IF YOU DON'T-"

"Sir, did you just say Heartfilia?" a quieter voice called out.

Natsu turned around to see an elderly woman standing with bags of groceries that were much too heavy for her. Without a second thought, the boy kindly grabbed them and grinned widely at the lady.

"Yeah, do you know Lucy?" he asked, hope sprouted in the pit of his stomach. He knew he should've trusted his instincts to go down this path!

"Well, I do not exactly know this Lucy you speak of," the woman answered, immediately seeing the flash of disappointment spread across the boy's face. She quickly began to make amends by adding, "But I do know the Heartfilia mansion."

"You do!?"

"Yes of course, dear. Everyone that lives here knows the Heartfilia family. They are one of the wealthiest families in all of Fiore and they actually live here."

"Can you tell me where this mansion is?"

The elderly woman chuckled and answered, "Sure, dear. You were lucky to have chosen this path, actually. If you continue going straight down this path, no turning whatsoever, you will eventually reach the gates of the mansion. I must warn you though, it is a long walk."

Natsu gave a toothy grin and replied, "Don't worry about that."

The pinkette was about to leave before he remembered the groceries the woman was carrying. He was going to hand them back to her, but instead decided to help her. After all, she did help him. And these bags were much too heavy for her to carry.

"Here, I'll carry these for you," he offered.

"Oh are you sure?" the woman asked. Nobody had ever offered to help her before, and now there was a boy with bright colored hair that was sure to be labeled a delinquent helping her as if it were the only thing to do. "Thank you so much! My name is Margaret."

"I'm Natsu!" the pink-haired boy exclaimed as he followed Margaret.

"May I ask what a young boy like you is doing out here looking for the Heartfilia estate? You aren't an assassin, are you?"

Natsu chuckled and answered, "Nah. I'm the daughter's soulmate."

Margaret gasped and replied, "Soulmate? Oh dear, that sounds exciting! Are you going there to win her heart?"

"Sorta. I'm pretty sure she already feels the same way but… turns out she's engaged."

"Oh heavens no! That is awful!"

"It is! That's why I'm going over there to stop all of it and drag her back with me!"

Margaret chuckled, stopping just outside of her small cottage. "That sounds like an excellent plan, dear. Make sure you get her back."

Natsu eyed the place and nosily asked, "Do you have anyone to help you put these away?"

A sad smile graced the elderly woman's lips as she shook her head. "Not anymore. You see, I lost my own soulmate a few months ago."

"I'll help you then-"

"No thank you, dear. I'll manage just fine on my own. You need to hurry up and go get your own soulmate back."

Natsu hesitantly returned the groceries back to Margaret and reluctantly nodded. He began running back to the path shouting, "Don't worry, I'll get her back!"

Now with a clear destination in mind, the boy sprinted down the dirt path with fierce determination coursing through his veins. He was going to get Lucy back no matter what.

After fifteen minutes of nonstop sprinting, Natsu found himself standing outside the grand gates of what had to be the biggest house he had ever seen in his entire life. Wait no, this wasn't a house. This was a _mansion._ The boy had never seen one before and to think that Lucy lived such a lavish life in this house before surprised him. Jerking out of his daze, the pink-haired boy attempted to open the large gates, but it was futile. They wouldn't budge. Looking for another entrance, hope quickly began to diminish as he found that there were none.

Natsu took a deep breath before shrugging. With a great leap, he jumped onto the barred gate and began to climb. The bars were slippery and the height was astounding, but he was making incredible progress. Eventually, he made it to the top, surprisingly without falling off, and swung his legs to the other side. Carefully grabbing one of the bars, he slid down, the friction between his hands and the pole burning his hands. Though none of that mattered as he got to his feet and cheered. He made it.

Just as suddenly, there was a clicking sound and something cold pressed to the back of his head. A gun.

"Do not moooove," a sudden voice commanded.

Raising his hands in the air in surrender, Natsu ever so slowly turned his head to meet his attacker. It was a burly middle-aged man in a neat suit, though his bulky muscles threatened to rip it open.

Natsu awkwardly chuckled, hoping to catch the man off guard. His eyes watched the man's charcoal eyes, following his gaze. Natsu found that the man was staring at one of the maids, hearts practically forming in his eyes.

" _What a pervert."_

With a sudden swiftness, Natsu turned around and smacked the gun away and out of the other man's large hands. He thanked Mavis that he had spent all of his life fighting Gray and every other friend he had met. He was even more thankful that Igneel taught him the basics before he disappeared. Raising a perfectly formed fist in the air, the pinkette was about to launch it straight into the man's face. Just millimeters from colliding with his cheek, there was a sharp pain as something coiled around Natsu's wrist. He found that it was a leather whip. Following its direction, he found a female maid with pastel pink locks of hair and dull blue eyes staring at him. With a fast yank, she pulled Natsu back effortlessly and brought him to the ground. Natsu growled as the maid skillfully retracted her whip only to lash it back at him and rope his arms to the side of his body.

"Who are you?" the maid questioned.

"Let go of me!" Natsu shouted, ignoring her question.

The maid sighed and tightened the whip's hold on him. "Taurus, tell Aquarius-san that there is an intruder and that her presence is needed."

The other man, who Natsu now knew as Taurus, nodded before dashing into the mansion. Moments later, he reappeared along with a woman with long, slicked back blue hair. She wore a heavy scowl and glared at the pinkette tied on the ground.

Stepping in front of Natsu, Aquarius dug her heel into his head and shouted, "So you think you can interrupt my date and not even bother giving Virgo your name, huh!?"

"Oi, stop it!" Natsu yelled back. "My name is Natsu, damn it! Natsu Dragneel!"

"Natsu?" the maid from before repeated, looking at the said boy with wide eyes.

"This little runt is him, huh?" Aquarius asked, reluctantly lifting her foot. "That brat would end up with some idiot like this one."

"How could Lucy- who has such a moooving body- end up with someone like this!?" Taurus cried, tears streaming down his face.

Natsu immediately decided he didn't like that man. After all, who was he to look at _his_ Lucy's body? "Shut it, pervert!"

Virgo loosened her whip and released the intruder and bowed. "My deepest apologies, Natsu-san. I believed you were a thief or assassin. You must forgive me."

The pink-headed boy grumbled and rose to his feet, rubbing the spot Virgo's whip had on his wrist before. "Agh, it's fine. I guess it is kinda suspicious for someone to be climbing over the gate. Wait a sec, how do you all know me?"

"Princess told Jude-sama about you earlier and he ordered us to do a background check so he gave us your name. Shall we go inside?"

Natsu wanted to question why this "Jude" guy needed a background check from him but shrugged it off, following the others into the mansion. "Lucy is here, right?"

"My apologies, Princess is out at the moment. She is taking care of her engagement at the moment. Would you like to wait for her here?"

A smirk danced on Natsu's lips as he nodded. "Yeah, take me to the old man's room. Or wherever he spends most of his time. I have a few words I'd like to say to him!"

* * *

Lucy confidently strode into the mansion with her head held high, following her father's example. It had been a while since she took etiquette classes- thank Mavis- but luckily she remembered the basics. The blonde's stomach churned uncomfortably with each step, growing more anxious by the second. All of this was tripled when they were outside the doors of the dining room, where they were to meet with the family. With one last reassuring look from her father, the girl gulped and followed into the grand room.

Inside was only a small family. There was a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair tied in an elegant knot as she was clad in a clearly expensive purple dress. Sparkly diamond earrings dangled from her ears as a matching necklace was wrapped around her neck. Her face was lightly caked with makeup and a small, almost nervous looking smile graced her red lips.

Next to her stood a man with jet-black hair, darker than Gajeel's unruly mane of black. He was in a suit just as her father was, though his tie was a deep blue. What stood out the most were his emerald green eyes. They were so captivating it almost caused Lucy to miss the grim line his lips were set in. Almost. But she did notice, and now feared for the results of this meeting.

A little further off, Lucy's eyes landed on a girl that appeared to be a few years older than her with long, gorgeous locks of orange hair. The strands were like silk with how glossy and well-kept they appeared. Her eyes were a refreshing and calming shade of grey, a color that Lucy had not seen in eyes before. Lucy couldn't help but notice that this girl's body was even more ample than hers. Meeting her gaze, the blonde noticed that this girl had a nervous, but very inviting smile.

Lastly, Lucy's eyes glanced toward the boy standing next to the beautiful girl. His hair was jet-black, just as his father's, though his locks were longer and a bit messy. His jade eyes though were much brighter than the older gentleman's. The blonde found that he stared back at her with a hard and unreadable expression. That was when she found that he was holding hands with the girl next to him, reviving any hope she lost before.

"It is good to see you, Mr. Heartfilia," the older man, presumably the boy's father, greeted. He approached them and shook Jude's hands. Turning his attention to Lucy, he bowed to her, to which she returned with a curtsey.

"As it is with you, Mr. Schiffer. I am sure you are aware as to why we are here," Jude replied.

Lucy stared at the girl with orange hair and frowned seeing tears well up in her eyes. It confused her to no end. Glancing towards the older boy she was engaged to, she stifled a gasp as she found he was subtly glaring at her. What the hell was happening?

"Y-Yes…" Mr. Schiffer stammered. "Let me introduce you all to everyone. This is my wife, Kyoko, and this is my son, Ulquiorra." With a shaky hand, the man then gestured to the amber-haired beauty Lucy was curious about. "A-And _this_ is my daughter in law, Orihime…"

Lucy's eyes bulged out of their sockets and her jaw dropped as she stared at the other girl. "D-Daughter in law!?"

Orihime chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "Y-Yep! That's me!"

"As in, the wife of your son?" Jude questioned Mr. Schiffer, who in turn nodded. "W-Would you care to explain?"

Mr. Schiffer nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, when we got the contract a little over two years ago, it was before our son met Orihime and we were trying to expand our business. So when we got that contract, we were delighted to sign seeing as how Ulquiorra had no problems with it at the time because he hadn't met Orihime yet. So we signed and returned it, making our children officially engaged and expecting your reply to wed our children. But over the next year, despite our efforts to contact you, we never got a reply and when we visited, one of your servants forced us to leave. Soon after, Ulquiorra met Orihime and convinced us to let them get married. We figured that we could pretend that whole contract never happened and soon enough they were wed despite the fact that Ulquiorra was engaged to your daughter…"

Lucy now understood clearly why Orihime was crying. She was probably scared that her husband was going to be taken away from her. A warm smile etched itself onto the blonde's lips as she stepped towards the other girl. She delivered a kind hug, one that was immediately returned.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia," the girl greeted as she pulled away from the hug, "and you have no idea how happy your marriage makes me."

Ulquiorra then stepped forward protectively and stated, "I will not marry you. I am in love with Orihime and nothing will change that."

The blonde chuckled and waved him off replying, "Actually, the reason why we're here today is to end this stupid engagement between us."

At this, the couple widened their eyes and shared disbelieving looks.

"Really?" Orihime questioned with hope.

"Yep!"

"Oh thank Mavis," Kyoko breathed out.

"I will get started on the paperwork right away," Mr. Schiffer announced just as happily, leading Jude into his study.

"No offense, Lucy…" Orihime began, carefully choosing her words. "But why are you doing this? Wouldn't this be good for your father's company?"

The blonde smiled affectionately and answered, "Because just like your husband, I fell in love with someone else."

The orange-haired girl returned the smile. "I hope you get him then, Lucy."

"I will, thanks!"

After a short while, Jude returned with a crisp sheet of paper. "Alright you two, you must sign this to hereby end this petty engagement."

Lucy eagerly took the paper and pen and hastily scribbled her signature. Handing it to Ulquiorra, he did the same, though his was much neater. With a last farewell, Lucy and her father were escorted out of the mansion and into their car with Capricorn already raring to go. Driving away, the blonde smiled as she watched the beautiful scenery pass by. For once, she felt truly free, unshackled from the sham engagement. And now, she was ready to face Natsu. Though little did she know, the time to do so would be much sooner than she expected.

 **AN:** When I first wrote this, I didn't have Ulquiorra and Orihime, I just had OC's. But then after re-reading it, I couldn't help but toss them in haha! I just love them so much and miss writing stories for them and yeah! I'm not going to call my story a crossover just because of this little addition haha. :) FINALLY I CAN REPLY TO REVIEWS! I'm going to reply to ALL the ones I missed, so it's gonna be a lot haha! Sorry if I miss any!

 **UltimateGoham:** Chapter 17: Oh haha I know I hate reading a story and it's not finished yet! Luckily, I update rather quickly haha. :)

 **T-tawny:** HOLY COW THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS ON A BUNCH OF CHAPTERS! They were super entertaining to read haha! Btw, I actually use your profile to find good Nalu stories lmao. After you reviewed on my other story Better Together I looked at your favorite stories and it was like a gold mine of Nalu! :D

 **Katiekat2001:** Chapter 17: Thank you so much. Hope you enjoyed. :) Chapter 18: Thank you again! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** Chapter 17: THANK YOU I LOVE JERZA HAHA. I actually like Jerza more than Gruvia, I think they deserve more screen time! Chapter 18: Yes he did! :'D Not like he needed to though since it was so obvious to everyone. ;D

 **Alexa60765:** Chapter 17: YOU HAVE SO MANY PREDICTIONS HAHA! Chapter 18: I can read them now which is amazing! :'D And yes, I looooove possessive Natsu!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Chapter 17: Thank you so much. :)

 **PineappleText:** Chapter 17: GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE JERZA AS MUCH AS I DID!

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Chapter 17: Yay it ended haha! :D Chapter 18: A POSSESSIVE NATSU IS A CUTE NATSU!

 **Humbleblossom:** Chapter 17: Thank you! :D Chapter 18: Yessss I love an angry Natsu it's cute!

 **Biyiksizkedi:** Your English is great! :D I'm actually learning a second language (Japanese) and you are doing amazing I'm so envious. :) And thank you so much!

 **Kaito1412:** Chapter 17: Nope! Jude is nice now. :')

 **Abdtlf:** Thank you so much! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Oh I'm glad you're back! :D And thank you for the review! Her engagement is now over so yay. :D Chapter 18: YES NATSU IS GETTING HIS GIRL. And I know, I just couldn't help throwing in my favorite ship of Bleach hahaha!

 **Rose Tiger:** Chapter 17: She does, don't worry. :) Chapter 18: Haha yes Natsu is making some progress!

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** I FREAKING LOVE LEVY. She needs more screen time haha!

 **Lunahartz:** Chapter 17: Ahh I missed you since the reviews broke! AND ALL WILL BE FIXED BETWEEN THE TWO SOON! Chapter 18: I can read them now yay! :D

 **Brynn chan:** Chapter 16: Oh man that's intense haha! I always picture Karen to be a drug addict so I went with it haha. :)

 **Musicalocelot:** Chapter 17: Thank you so much I just love me some Jerza. :') Chapter 18: Of course he has to go and start fights with guards! :D

 **Guest:** Chapter 5: Omg I know haha it was just for story purposes. My highest intake of vodka is 11 shots so good job Lucy! :D

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Chapter 17: Ooh, kinda confused by your question of who is at home. Imma just say Jude though because I'm not sure about your question haha! Chapter 18: Things are getting real, especially next chapter! :D

 **Hal:** Thank you so much haha! I typically only read stories when they are completed because often times they are abandoned. :(

 **SingingAngel327:** Chapter 17: Haha man everyone was expecting Dan I should've put him haha! Ugh I can't believe I didn't think of that. And thank you for another review. :) Chapter 18: Haha Natsu will be a good boy, I promise! He can't screw it up anymore!

 **XxTentenxX179:** HAHA HE DID SHOW UP AND START A BRAWL LMAO GOOD GUESS!

 **Willow04anime:** Chapter 17: Haha I know, everyone dislikes the cliffhangers, but I think that they make the story interesting! :) Chapter 18: THANK YOU! :D

 **AsunaLucy:** I really wish that Natsu and Jude met in the show that would've been so entertaining of a relationship!

 **Guest:** I COULDN'T HELP IT HAHA! I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE ULQUIORRA HAHAHA!

 **Cinder Fall 39:** Haha I had OC's (for some reason Dan never crossed my mind) and I decided to switch it out last second to throw in my favorite ship from Bleach just because I miss writing them!

 **Zeiyuu:** I can read them now and it makes me so happy. I missed out on so many great reviews. :')

 **Grimnack:** Oh he is haha! He's protective like that. :D

 **Snavej:** I will always love possessive Natsu. :')

 **Johnny Spectre:** I like Jude after he stopped being a douche! it was so sad when he died!

 **Aurawarrior13:** He breaks into the estate, that's what happens! :D Thanks for the review! :D


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** ALRIGHT TIME FOR THE REUNION! Hope you all enjoy! :)

Chapter 20

"So you guys are all bodyguards for Lucy and her old man?" Natsu questioned, food spewing onto the important documents on the desk.

He was currently seated in Jude's study, stuffing his face with all kinds of rich people food he had never had or even heard of before. Surrounding the boy were servants of all kinds. As he met before, there was Virgo, Aquarius, and Taurus- who he still didn't like. There was also a man with dark hair named Sagittarius, a younger male with blue hair named Gemini, a tanner man named Cancer, and another tanned man though with a mixture of red and white hair named Scorpio.

"Yep!" Scorpio answered with an arm around his girlfriend's waist. "We've been with Lady Lucy since she was a kid!"

"A _brat,"_ Aquarius corrected.

"Are you really Miss Lucy's soulmate?" Sagittarius questioned.

Natsu gave a fanged grin as he answered, "Yep! Got a fire-key tattoo on my back to prove it!"

"Tsch," Aquarius muttered. "So she finally got a boyfriend, huh?"

A blanket of pink covered Natsu's cheeks in a deep blush. "N-Nah, we aren't dating.

"Why not?" Scorpio questioned.

"Ehh, she was kinda with someone else."

"Someone else?" Virgo asked. "And she didn't tell Jude-sama?"

"I guess not. Anyways, is she almost here because-"

"Virgo?" a familiar voice called out. "Who're you talking to? I'm going back to Magnolia soon and I wanted to say goodbye to everyone before I left!"

Footsteps quickly approached the study as Natsu's anger returned at full-blast. He waited patiently for the sight of the blonde he had been looking for. He was going to give her and her father a piece of his mind. Finally, she entered the room.

"There you are Virgo," Lucy began, not yet noticing the seething pinkette in her father's seat. "And hello, everyone! It's good to see you all-"

Finally, her eyes landed on Natsu. Brown bore into onyx in an intense stare-down. The girl could clearly see that he was angry with her, which she understood completely. After all, the last time they saw each other was when she almost kissed him and then made up with Hibiki. Their locked gazes was only interrupted by the appearance of her father entering the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Jude inquired with a menacing tone. Within a blink of an eye, Capricorn had Natsu pinned against the floor. "Are you a thief? Or an assassin?"

"Wait, dad!" Lucy shouted. "This is Natsu!"

"Natsu?"

"The boy I told you about earlier!"

Jude returned his attention back to the pinned-down boy and frowned. " _This_ is Natsu? But he has pink hair!"

"Oi, it's salmon!" Natsu argued. "Now get this guy off of me! I have some things I gotta say!"

Capricorn reluctantly released his hold on the boy. With a nod from Jude, he then led the way out of the study, followed by the other bodyguards and leaving the trio alone to discuss things.

"Natsu-" Lucy began, only to be interrupted.

"Listen here," Natsu started, marching up to the blonde's father, "you're a terrible father, you know that? How could you just sell your daughter away like that? She's your own flesh and blood, you are supposed to want her to be happy! Lucy's life is up to Lucy! You can't go marrying her off, especially when I'm her soulmate!"

Jude sighed and replied, "I know that, _boy._ Lucy and I already discussed this years ago. I was not aware of the fact that she was engaged. Still, I am wary of you being my daughter's soulmate. Show me your tattoo to prove it."

Natsu growled but reluctantly took off his coat and showed the man his flaming key tattoo. "See? She's my soulmate! She can't go marrying some other guy!"

"Natsu," Lucy began, only to be interrupted once again.

"And _you,_ " Natsu started, turning his attention towards the blonde. "You and I are going to talk about this when we get back home. Let's go."

"O-Okay," the girl replied, not wanting to argue with the boy. She had never seen him so angry before. In truth, it terrified her. She smiled at her father in an attempt to reassure him she would be fine. Well, she hoped she would be fine. "I'll see you again soon, Papa."

"If this runt does anything to you, let me know right away," Jude whispered into the blonde's ear as he hugged her. "My hitmen are very skilled."

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Papa. C-Can you say goodbye to the others for me? I'm guessing I won't have time to..."

"Of course."

And with that, the two teens were on their way back to Magnolia. After being dropped off at the train station by Capricorn, Lucy bid him farewell and boarded the train with the still seething Natsu. The train ride seemed horrendously longer than it actually was, Natsu's motion sickness making it even worse. Lucy hesitantly poked the sick boy on the arm. When he glared at her, she gestured to her lap. Reluctantly, the boy accepted her offer and laid his head on her lap and allowed her to massage his scalp soothingly, making the train ride much easier.

Once Lucy realized the train ride was over an hour later, she wished the train would ride off again, making it so that she would never have to start the dreaded conversation with Natsu. Much to her chagrin, the blonde found herself being tugged by the wrist off the train and onto the streets of Magnolia. It was a silent walk in which neither of the two even spared each other a glance. Lucy could see others on the street staring worriedly at the two, probably worried that Natsu was going to kill her or something with how angry he looked.

Anxiety filled the girl's stomach as they finally arrived at her apartment. Lucy led the way up the stairs and unlocked the door with her shaky hand. Entering her quaint home, the blonde took a seat on her couch and ushered Natsu to do the same. Unsurprisingly, he chose not to and instead stood across from her. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows were furrowed. His dark eyes were menacing along with the grim line of his lips. Oh yeah, he was definitely angry.

"Natsu…" Lucy hesitantly began. They needed to talk about it eventually. It was now or never.

"Is it over?" the boy questioned, his gaze still hard and unrelenting.

The blonde arched a brow and asked, "Is what over?"

"Everything. Your engagement and your relationship with Hibiki or any other guy you've been attached to in some way or another."

Lucy glared at the boy but answered, "Yes. My engagement and relationship is over."

"Good," Natsu replied. "Now, why the hell didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

"I did."

"Don't lie to me, Lucy! You told me you ended it!"

"No I didn't," Lucy stubbornly argued. "I told you that I was engaged, that was it."

Natsu glowered at the blonde and questioned, "Alright then why the hell didn't you tell me you were _still_ engaged?"

"I didn't see why I should. It was part of my past, one that I didn't have a choice of. I just wanted to forget it ever happened and move on with my life."

"Then why end it now?"

Light pink dusted the girl's face as she averted her gaze. "Because I realized that no matter how happy I may be with someone, I would always be cheating on them. I would never be fully theirs and I couldn't deal with the thought of them resenting me for it."

Natsu's shoulders visibly relaxed a bit but his hard expression maintained. "Why did you and Hibiki break up?"

Lucy met the boy's dark eyes once again, her blush still spread on her cheeks. "Same reason as last time. I didn't love him and I never would."

"That's not what you told me the first time you broke up. You told me that he thought you were in love with me."

"Exactly."

Natsu's angry expression morphed into one of confusion and shock. He uncrossed his arms and studied the blonde, who was playing with the ends of her hair nervously. He could see that she was blushing and he began to understand why.

"I see," he finally said in a hushed voice. "You know Lucy, you make things much harder than they have to be." Pain flashed across his face as he asked, "Why did you take him back? After we almost…"

Lucy's heart shattered seeing the pure hurt in his eyes and hearing it in his voice. "Because I didn't want to hurt him anymore than I already have. I made him stay with me for three whole months when I was in love with another guy-"

"In love?"

Lucy chuckled at the boy's shocked expression and nodded. "I told you I loved you the other day didn't I?"

"I-I thought that was an accident," Natsu replied.

"Well, it was. But I think that was my body's way of trying to make me realize my true feelings. A-Anyways, I hurt Hibiki so much already and I couldn't bear the thought of hurting him even more. I figured you and I would always be friends and that I could force myself to forget my feelings for you but…"

"But?"

"But when you left I knew that I couldn't. I felt bad, but I knew what had to be done. I couldn't force myself to stay with him. It wasn't fair to either of us. And it wasn't fair to you either."

The two locked gazes, all earlier fear and anger forgotten. Lucy stood from the couch and stepped closer to the boy, close enough to feel warmth emanating from his body. Their breaths fanned each other's faces, heat gaining in their cheeks. This was where they left off before and Lucy was going to finish it. There were going to be no interruptions and no pesky drama. Just a kiss between soulmates. But first…

"I'm sorry for everything I did," Lucy began, bringing her hands to Natsu's chest. "I regret it a lot. I regret the three months I spent pretending that Hibiki was my other half when my true soulmate was by my side the entire time. I'm in love with you, Natsu. And I think I have been since the moment I talked to you in Fairy Tail for the first time. I am so in love with you and I'm sorry for everything I did-"

Lucy's words were cut short as her lips were locked with the warmth of Natsu's. It was a sloppy kiss seeing as how it was rushed and neither of them were too experienced, but it held such passion Lucy never felt when she was with Hibiki. The girl brought her arms around the boy's neck, pulling him in closer and allowing the kiss to deepen. No tongue was involved this time but their hearts poured into the sweet contact. Pulling away, the two panted for air.

"I thought you were mad at me," Lucy breathed out, unable to remove her gaze from Natsu's intriguingly dark eyes.

"I was," he whispered back, pushing some of her stray golden locks behind her ear. "But I guess I got over it. But don't think you won't get away without a punishment."

The blonde chuckled and asked, "Punishment? What kind of punishment?"

Natsu grinned at the girl and answered, "You have to dance and sing on stage in front of everyone at Fairy Tail."

"Again? No way! That's cruel!"

"Need I remind you that you almost kissed me and then got back with your ex right in front of me?"

"Fair enough. Alright, I'll do your stupid punishment. Can we just kiss now?"

"Sounds good to me," Natsu replied.

He then leaned down and crashed his lips upon hers once again, though this time much more skillfully. Their lips molded together in complete perfection as if their bodies were created specifically for this. But then again, who's to say they weren't? After all, they were soulmates. And now Lucy knew once and for all, the tattoos never lie.

 **AN:** Alright, we're nearing the end! But yay they are finally together. :')

 **PineappleText:** GOSH YOUR ENTHUSIASM HYPES ME UP EVERY TIME THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS!

 **Lunahartz:** OH NO! Man that is so sad! That used to happen to me all the time though. Afterwards I eventually got my act together and started doing well in school. You do too little sis!

 **Aidansidhe:** Aww really? I'm curious to know who your number one hated ship in Bleach is now haha! :D And I'm glad you still like this story even though a ship you didn't like was in it. :)

 **Guest:** I freaking love Ulquihime haha!

 **Sarara1.8:** Oh hello there! Thanks for checking this story out too! :)

 **BloodRedRubies:** Haha I think it keeps the story exciting! :D And oh really? Bleach used to be my favorite anime but now Fairy Tail is haha! :) If you ever have time you should definitely finish watching it! :)

 **Guest:** If you are like Levy, you and I would be great friends because I love Levy. If I had to say I was a character from Fairy Tail, I would go with Cana. Both looks AND personality lmao.

 **Alea:** Thank you so much! :)

 **Cinder Fall 39:** haha I couldn't help but add them! :D

 **Zeiyuu:** Hahaha sadly he didn't know where they lived so he just waited for them to come back haha! But yeah Natsu would do something like that huh? :D

 **Black Hearts24:** Wow I'm glad you also like Ulquihime haha! The community is so dead because not that many people ship it lol.

 **Humbleblossom:** Hahaha I loved when Natsu jumped over the fence lol!

 **Alexa60765:** Jude's reaction was pretty short sadly! You can bet that he is getting that background check done though haha!

 **Musicalocelot:** Haha I absolutely love Lucy's spirits, I just needed them to be a part of the story! And yeah if I had the engagement go badly then it would just add too much drama! I think I have enough drama now with the whole Hibiki thing and the engagement surprise. If I made it even harder the story would never have a happy ending lol.

 **21jhauptman:** We'll go with being super happy! I think Natsu and Lucy have had enough anger and sadness lately how about you? :D

 **Grimnack:** Good easy or bad easy? I just didn't want to add more drama haha!

 **Katiekat2001:** I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! :D

 **Snavej:** Lucy's spirits are my life. My favorite is Loke, but since he's not a spirit in this story my second fav would have to be Aquarius! :')

 **SingingAngel327:** Well, he spit food onto important documents if that counts! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** thanks for all the reviews! Glad you're caught up now! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Oh wow you made an account nice! :D I'm glad you like the story and that it's not too cheesy! :D And so long as you review, I will always reply! I always reply to everyone that reviews! :)

 **Johnny Spectre:** Aww Ulquihime isn't your cup of tea? That's okay, we all have our own opinions. :) Glad you still like my story even though I threw in a character you aren't a fan of! :D


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:** Hello everyone! How's life going for all of you? :) Life is really keeping me busy these days haha! Because of this, I am thinking about posting twice a week! If I were to do this, what two days would be best for all of you? :) It's not for sure yet, just a thought!

Chapter 21

Lucy woke up the next morning with a bright smile plastered to her face. Stretching her arms above her head, the blonde relished in the feel of her back popping relaxingly. Grabbing a fistful of her blanket, she pulled it to her nose and inhaled the smoky aroma of Natsu, who had spent the night last night for the first time since she started dating Hibiki. Of course this time new things were thrown in the mix such as cuddling and a few occasional kisses. Other than that, it was like old times again, before things got messy.

But things were fine now. She was no longer engaged, she wasn't dating Hibiki, and was instead with her soulmate, who also happened to be her best friend. Things were perfect. Well, there was _one_ thing that couldbe better. And that was the fact that she didn't know where she stood with Natsu. Were they dating? Was he expecting only occasional flings? Did she even _want_ to date again?

Lucy sighed and shook her head. No, she shouldn't be stressed over it. After all, she had spent the past week- perhaps even months- being stressed. For once, the girl was going to allow herself to relax. Well, besides the whole going to school thing. She still had to do that. Thus, the blonde forced herself out of her heaven-like bed and reluctantly got ready for school.

"Lu-chan!" Levy cried out frantically at the sight of the blonde. "You're here! Erza told us all about your engagement and WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL US!? WE'RE YOUR BEST FRIENDS YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US."

"Juvia agrees!" the other blunette added. "Why did you tell Erza and not us?"

Lucy sighed and answered, "Because she was there when I tried packing to fix it. Look, it's not that I wanted to tell her and not you guys. You know that you two are my closest friends! It's just that I kinda didn't have any other option at the time."

"What about before? You've had so much time to tell us!" Levy shot back with narrowed eyes.

The blonde awkwardly chuckled and answered, "Well, you see… It's not something I like to talk about!"

"Still! We could've helped you!"

"How?"

"I-I don't know but we could've! We could've gone with you for moral support or something! Or we could've tamed Natsu- oh my gosh! What ever happened with Natsu!?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy lied, averting her gaze. "Nothing happened! You're crazy, Levy-chan!"

The two blunettes' eyes widened as they shrieked loudly.

"Something did happen!" Juvia exclaimed. "Tell us!"

"Don't you dare try getting out of this one!" Levy added.

Lucy sighed, knowing she wouldn't win against her friends. "Fine. W-We kissed. Again."

"AGAIN!?"

"Yes, again! Now be quiet! Anyways, I never told you guys this because there wasn't time, but the first time Hibiki broke up with me, Natsu came over and one thing led to another and we almost kissed… And that's when I realized that I was in love with him. But then I screwed up and took Hibiki back-"

"Really, Lu-chan?" Levy asked while face-palming.

"So that's why Natsu was angry!" Juvia exclaimed. "Go on!"

Lucy sighed and continued, "Yes, that's why he was mad. And I'm guessing Erza told everyone about my engagement?" Seeing her friends nod, the blonde sighed once again and went on, "Well, after that Natsu tracked me down in Acalypha-"

"So he did find you?"

"Yep! And he was beyond angry. He was yelling at my dad and then dragged me back to my place to yell at me. I've never seen him so angry before. But after I explained everything to him and confessed my feelings, we k-kissed and things are better now!" Lucy smiled, recalling the prior day's events. But after seeing her friends' questioning gazes, her smile vanished and was replaced with a confused frown. "What?"

"That's it?" Levy questioned almost desperately. "Nothing else?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Wait," Juvia began, "so you confessed to Natsu but he didn't confess to you?"

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction as she realized Juvia was correct. "I-I mean, not in those specific words..."

"But he kissed you?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"So you two aren't dating or anything?"

"Nope…"

"DAMN IT YOU TWO ARE SUCH IDIOTS!" Levy screeched, bashing her head against her desk. "I swear you two make things more complicated than Gajeel does, and he's the most complicated guy I know! It's not that hard! Just get together!"

"That's not true!" Lucy protested. "It's just that… Well you see… Damn it."

Just then, the teacher walked in, signaling the start of class. Lucy laid her head exhaustedly on her desk, not caring about the lecture. She didn't notice the shared look between the two blunettes.

Levy sighed at her friend's idiocy. " _Looks like the plan is still in motion after all."_

* * *

Lucy raised her arms above her head as the bell rang, dismissing all students from the hell-hole called school. Packing her things, the blonde thought about her conversation with her friends. Who knew something that made her so happy the day before could also make her immensely confused? If she knew that things were going to get so complicated, she never would've kissed Natsu. Okay, that was a lie, of course she would still kiss him. She couldn't resist it after all.

" _Just play it cool for now, Lucy,"_ the girl thought as she followed her friends to Fairy Tail. " _All I have to do is follow Natsu's lead. If he thinks we're better off without labels, then that's how it'll be! We don't need labels anyways! It's me and Natsu! We'll be fine! But then again-"_

"Lu-chan?" Levy's voice rang out, interrupting the blonde's thoughts. "We're here. You almost just walked past Fairy Tail. You okay?"

Lucy awkwardly chuckled and answered, "Of course! I was just a little zoned out!"

"What were you thinking about?" Juvia questioned.

"O-Oh, it's nothing! Just about our homework!"

"But we don't have any homework."

"O-Oh yeah! I was just thinking about how happy I was to not have homework, you know? L-Let's just go inside!"

Lucy grabbed the two blunettes' wrists and began dragging them into the pub. The two blunettes shared a look and sighed. Lucy never was a good liar. Well, besides the whole engagement thing. They had to give her props on that one.

Lucy's stomach dropped with each step, twisting and churning from anxiety at the sight of an all too familiar pinkette. Her heart stopped when he turned to look at her with his signature toothy grin. It was almost as if nothing happened between them. Should she be the same way? Pretending that nothing changed? The girl swallowed thickly and mechanically sat in her usual spot.

"Yo, Luce!" Natsu greeted in a typical manner.

"H-Hi, Natsu," the blonde replied. She found herself unable to make eye contact and instead stared at the drops of water sliding down Natsu's cup. Her cheeks were warm and red, she didn't need a mirror to know that she was blushing.

Natsu frowned and arched a brow at the girl. "You okay, Lucy? You have a weird face."

And just like that, Lucy forgot all about her prior embarrassment and was instead fueled with irritation.

"I don't have a weird face!" she screeched, slapping the boy upside his head and crossing her arms.

The pinkette groaned but smiled through the pain. "There you go! There's my Lucy!"

Lucy's heart fluttered at his words, her cheeks dusted a light pink. "S-Shut up."

The rest of the table smiled knowingly at the pair. Though Natsu didn't speak of what happened when he went to Acalypha, it didn't take a genius to see that something happened between the two during that time. It was obvious to anyone. Hell, even a stranger could walk through the door and see the new chemistry between the couple. It was hard to place, but they were different. They were clearly happier, which was made obvious with their cheery smiles. They talked as if they were even closer than before and if Lucy's pink cheeks were anything to go by, they probably were closer. Yes, something happened between the two. But as luck would have it, it wasn't enough for the rest of the group.

"Get a room you two," Gray quipped as he removed his shirt.

Lucy whipped her head to her friend and stuttered, "W-Why would we do that!? We're just talking!"

The boy smirked and replied, "I didn't say you and Natsu. What makes you think I was talking about you two? Are you together or something?"

The blonde realized her mistake and began making amends. "N-No, nothing like that! It's just that I figured… Well… Umm… Damn it."

The table erupted in laughter, including Natsu.

"You aren't that good at lying are you, Lucy?" Lisanna asked followed by a giggle.

"For someone that kept such a huge secret, Bunny Girl sucks at lying," Gajeel added.

"Shut it," Lucy muttered, though the smile on her lips betrayed her words.

Peeping at the boy next to her in the corner of her eye, she saw Natsu with his signature grin. He was normal and treated her the same as before. Though it confused her before, now she understood his actions completely. He didn't things were different between them. And in truth, she hoped they never would be. She liked the teasing and the fun they had together. That was probably why she fell in love with him in the first place. If he started acting like a "proper" boyfriend, one that her father would have approved, he wouldn't have been the boy she fell in love with.

Lucy smiled to herself, finally okay with things. No matter the outcome, she would be happy with Natsu, label or not. Because she didn't need a label, the fancy dates, or any of the things she had with Hibiki. All she needed was Natsu and that was all she ever would need.

"Hey Natsu," Levy's voice called out, bringing the blonde out of her thoughts. "When do you and Lucy work next?"

The pinkette arched a brow but answered, "Tomorrow after school. Why?"

"Oh nothing!" the blunette replied. Though the smirk and infamous brow wiggle gave Lucy other ideas.

Chalking it up to probably being a surprise visit, the blonde traveled into her solitary world of thought once more. As she was thinking earlier, she would and Natsu would be fine. Everything would be up to him. Besides, with how she wasted the last three months of her life with some boy she thought was her soulmate, she really didn't trust herself to be at the wheel of her relationship with Natsu. They would take time to work into their new relationship, figure each other out more and find out what it would mean to be together. They had all the time in the world to figure out what specifically they wanted. Lucy smiled feeling that she didn't need to fret about it anymore.

But as she should've learned by now, fate always loved surprises. And this time, fate went by the name Levy McGarden.

 **AN:** I said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE LEVY. Carry on.

 **Zerophelia:** Wow thank you so much! :'D Such a sweet review! I'm glad you like the story!

 **Avhaskake:** WOW HOLY COW THANK YOU! Top favorite for Fairy Tail? That's unbelievable. :')

 **Biyiksizkedi:** Tbh I probably would've made it Dan if I remembered he existed lol. But now I'm glad I didn't! Besides, I wanted it to be somebody that didn't have feelings for Lucy, so clearly Dan wouldn't have worked haha! And your English is great! :D And oh really? :) I would never be able to learn it on my own. It's one of the hardest languages to learn and good job if you manage to teach yourself, seriously! :D And good luck on your university exam! AND YES I READ THE NEW CHAPTER I'M SO EXCITED!

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Hahahaha out of all the Nalu you got most excited about the punishment!? That's amazing I'll make sure it's hilarious for you!

 **PineappleText:** I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE NALU, YOU DESERVED IT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE SINCE THE BEGINNING!

 **21jhauptman:** Well, Levy isn't happy enough haha! And she won't be satisfied until they are officially together! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!

 **AsunaLucy:** They really are the best couple. :')

 **Avhaskake:** Thank you again! :)

 **Humbleblossom:** Hope you liked the chapter! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Haha I know, took a while for the two idiots. :') And I understand that! My only problem with Bleach was that each fight took like 3 episodes, too much for me. That's probably why I fell in love with Fairy Tail because each fight is 1 or sometimes 2 episodes! It has just enough action, comedy, and romance. :')

 **Aidansidhe:** Ahh ishihime. I'm not a big fan of that ship either haha!

 **SingingAngel327:** Sorry, but there is going to be the "oh they aren't official" thing! I hope you will like the story anyways!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** I KNOW TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH.

 **Beautifullove521:** Thank you so much! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Well we've got some time before the end! It was just a heads up! :)

 **Snavej:** Gotta love nalu kissing :')

 **Musicalocelot:** We've got some time before then at least! :D I don't have the end all figured out yet so you've got some time! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** YAY NALU IT HAPPENED FINALLY!

 **PandemoniumEclipse:** I love Lucy's spirits I had to make them badass body guards in the story haha! :D

 **Sarara1.8:** Glad you liked it! :D

 **Mysticrainee:** Haha thank you! I have a picture of what the tattoo would look like in my head and I really wanted to make a cover image for this story but I can't draw at all!

 **UltimateGoham:** Oh yeah Ulquiorra doesn't come in for a while haha! And thanks so much! :)

 **XxTentenXx179:** You got some time before then though don't worry! :D


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Just a heads up... things get a little... dirty. Not too bad in my opinion but just in case it's bad for some of you. Sooo if you don't like that stuff don't read it haha! I'll mark it with "*" :D

Chapter 22

Lucy smiled in content as she and Natsu walked back to her place after the group decided to go home for the day. The sky was darker than usual, making the stars stand out more much to her delight. The air was chillier than before, making her body shake slightly from shivering. Bringing her hands to her mouth, she cupped them together and blew hot breaths onto them to warm herself up. Of course, it didn't work as much as she would've liked.

"You know, if you didn't wanna be cold you should've worn a jacket," Natsu teased as he eyed the blonde amusedly.

"Whatever," the girl huffed back. "Hey, do you remember the first time you came to my place?"

Natsu chuckled and nodded. "Yeah! I made pasta because you cheated in our race!"

" _We_ made pasta. Actually, I made it. You did all the easy stuff. And I didn't cheat! Anyways, it was cold that night too and I wanted your jacket but you didn't give it to me. I just realized that it was because you were hiding your tattoo."

The pinkette arched a brow but smiled. "Yeah, I wanted to tell you when we got back to your place."

Lucy craned her head to look at the sky, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. "Do you think that if we just gave it a shot back then we would've made it? I mean, think of all the time we would've saved. I never would've gotten with Hibiki and you and I could've spent that time together instead. We probably would've been much closer by now if we did."

"I don't think so."

Lucy turned her head to face the boy and questioned, "Why not? We would've been together for three months. We would've learned more about each other and been more comfortable…"

Natsu eyed the blonde, who was sporting a sad frown. Ruffling the girl's hair, he gave her a reassuring grin.

"Like I said, I don't think that would've happened. Think about it, Luce. You and I didn't want any of that stuff when we met. We would've just been forcing ourselves to be something we didn't want just because of our tattoos. That would've just ended badly for the both of us. And even though I didn't like the guy, it was thanks to Hibiki that I realized how I felt."

"Hibiki really isn't a bad guy."

"He is because he beat me to you." The two shared a short laugh before Natsu went on, "Anyways, you and I are already close. We know each other's pasts and we know what we like and dislike. Wait, there's no more secret engagements you're hiding is there?"

Lucy nudged the boy and stuck out her tongue. "No, there isn't."

Natsu cackled and nudged her back. "Good. My point is, even though the past three months could've been different, I don't think anything would've changed between the two of us."

Lucy smiled and nodded. Natsu always knew just what to say to cheer her up. Gaining a bit of confidence, the girl reached out and intertwined her hand with Natsu's. To her delight, he didn't pull away. Though, he did flinch at first from surprise. Her heart swooned when he held onto her hand even tighter.

When they arrived at Lucy's apartment, the blonde went into the bathroom and changed into her nightwear which consisted of silk pink shorts and a low cut tank top. Of course it was revealing, but she was used to showing cleavage so it didn't bother her. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair quickly and exited the bathroom for Natsu to use. To her surprise, he was apparently comfortable changing into his pajamas in the middle of her living room.

The blonde let out a shriek and threw her pillow at the unsuspecting boy, who effortlessly dodged it.

"What're you doing!?" Lucy screeched, arming herself with another pillow.

Natsu raised a brow in slight irritation and answered, "Changing. You were in the bathroom so I'm changing out here."

"You could've waited!"

"Why? You've seen me shirtless before. I wear an open coat."

"Yeah but I haven't seen you just in your underwear before! Hurry up and put pants on!"

Natsu cackled as he slipped his legs into his pant legs. Ruffling the blonde's hair, he led the way into the bedroom and settled himself in her bed as always. Lucy puffed out a sigh but scooted next to him and pulled the covers just below her chin.

"You gotta stop sleeping here," Lucy said as she turned off her lamp.

"Nah, your bed is comfy," Natsu replied. He gripped the girl's hip and pulled her up against him.

Lucy squealed in surprise, her heart fluttering at the sudden contact. She cursed herself feeling a certain part of her body tingle in excitement and pushed all the thoughts out of her mind.

" _Nope, nope, nope. Don't think about that, Lucy."_

The blonde let out a shaky breath, her cheeks incredibly warm along with the rest of her body.

Natsu smirked as he heard the breath released from the girl's mouth. He would be lying if he said he wasn't aroused as well, but at least he was much better at hiding it. After all, he had been doing so for months. Deciding to have some fun, he traced his finger up and down the girl's thigh, his finger practically moving on its own as if he had experience in this sort of stuff. Which of course he didn't, but he supposed it was instincts. And boy were his instincts right.

Natsu mentally clapped himself on the back as he heard another shaky breath escape Lucy. Deciding to be even more adventurous, he tantalizingly traced his finger up her side and onto her shoulder where he started fingering the flimsy strap of her top. Lightly brushing away her golden locks of hair, the boy leaned forward and stopped just before his lips made contact with her neck. He could feel Lucy fidgeting under his warm breath and it excited him to continue. So he did.

Crashing his lips on the girl's neck, he began to suck and nip at her flesh, receiving a surprised gasp in return. This only sparked his arousal even more as he kissed harder and let his hand travel to grip her inner thigh. His heart thumped rapidly beneath his chest as he made up for the time they danced around each other, marking his territory now so that he would never lose her again.

Meanwhile, Lucy continued to fidget under Natsu's touch, enjoying the warmth of his lips on her neck and his firm grip on her thigh. For a boy without any experience, he sure knew how to turn her on. The blonde found herself suppressing moans at some points. She couldn't however contain the sharp gasp that escaped her lips as Natsu's hand drifted from her thigh and towards her rear. He gave it a tight squeeze, causing Lucy to shudder under his touch.

"N-Natsu," she breathed out.

"Lucy…" the boy replied.

Lucy's heart hammered as she heard how much want was in his tone. He _wanted_ her and that only made her want him more. Turning around, the girl wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and crashed her lips upon his. She felt a sense of pride as she heard him release a low growl, warming her insides even more. Their tongues danced together in harmony as Natsu's hand found her rear once again. He then flipped her on top of him as they continued to lock lips.

Lucy locked her hands in Natsu's pink tufts of hair. She was thoroughly enjoying the experience. The kisses, the touches, the warmth, all of it left her wanting even more. Removing one hand from the boy's hair, she reached down and grabbed Natsu's hand that was still grabbing her bottom, directing it underneath her shorts for a closer intimacy. She let out a shaky breath upon Natsu's lips as his warm hand grabbed her flesh.

Meanwhile, Natsu felt like he was over the moon. His heart and mind were going haywire as he continued to explore Lucy's body. He has seen it before countless times- after all, she always favored dressing provocatively. But now he was actually _touching_ the areas he literally dreamed of touching. And no matter how much he absolutely loved it, he knew they had to stop.

"Lucy," he grinded out in a low tone. "W-We have to stop now."

The blonde frowned and lifted herself to look at him. "Why? D-Do you not like it?"

Natsu groaned as he buried his lips into the crook of Lucy's neck and replied, "Oh Mavis, you have no idea how much I like it. But we need to slow down or else I might not be able to stop myself…"

"Who said I wanted you to stop?"

"Lucy…"

"Natsu."

"No, Luce. C'mon, we'll cuddle now."

Lucy frowned but reluctantly sat up, though that only made things worse as she was sitting on his private member, which she now noticed was very hard. Smirking, she grinded against it, stifling a laugh at the frustrated look on Natsu's face.

"Lucyyy," he groaned, bringing his hands onto her hips and pulling her down harder. "You're killing me here…"

The blonde in turn giggled but was cut short when she was suddenly flipped off the bed, landing harshly on her rear.

"Hey!" she shouted, glaring at the smirking pinkette.

"That's what you get," he replied. "Now hurry up and get in bed so we can go to sleep. Unlike you, I have school early in the morning."

"You have school thirty minutes before me, that's not much earlier. But fine." Lucy then climbed into bed and snuggled against Natsu, pleased with the warmth that emanated from him. She knew that she would never need to turn the heater on because he served to be a great heater. "Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Luce."

"…I love you."

Natsu chuckled and placed a sweet kiss on the back of the girl's head. "I love you too."

And with that, the two fell asleep with smiles planted on their faces.

 **AN:** No cliffhanger this time. ;D And I'm sorry if the dirty part sucked I am not experienced writing them AT ALL. My stories are innocent for the most part haha!

 **Katiekat2001:** Thanks again as always! :)

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Well no suspense this time, just some dirty stuff lol!

 **MirrorFlame:** Hahaha I'm glad you liked it! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Haha thank you so much! :D And Levy is just perfect. :') And I respond to all my reviewers! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you! :D

 **Biyiksizkedi:** Levy is so snarky I love her! And I understand, I make life complicated too sometimes haha! So I relate to Lucy in this story too haha! And lucky! I struggle with Japanese sometimes, I wish it was linear like English haha! And I haven't decided if I want to update twice a week or continue with every other day yet. Depends on my schedule! :) Thanks for the lovely review! :D

 **Pao8099:** THIS STORY IS THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE STORY I'VE EVER WRITTEN TBH I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BAD FOR A WHILE BUT I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT! :D

 **21jhauptman:** I know! :D I love Mira but I wanted Levy to play the role of match maker in this story haha! :)

 **PineappleText:** I HAVE A FEELING YOU'LL LIKE THIS CHAPTER TOO!

 **IVCelestialDragonSlayerVI:** Haha oh you're on chapter 12! I'm glad you're liking the story so far! :D Hope you catch up soon! Thanks for the review! :)

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Douitashimashite! :D

 **Fairy tail fan:** Nope! Lucy is all Natsu's now! :D Just not officially haha!

 **SingingAngel327:** I'm glad you like it! :D If I didn't have that then I wouldn't know how to progress the story or the couple haha! Thanks for another review! :)

 **BloodRedRubies:** They do make things complicated! I am like that too tbh haha! :D

 **Avhaskake:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! Here are my secrets: I go to bed and have a nalu dream. I wake up and try to get it into words. I fail about a million times until finally I give up and just go with it! :D

 **Musicalocelot:** Hahaha Levy is the best. You'll see what she has in store for them soon! :D

 **CelestialDragon14:** LEVY IS SO AMAZING! GLAD WE CAN AGREE ON THAT! :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Hello again it's been a while! :D I'm glad you're all caught up! And you're welcome about that Jerza moment, glad you got to read it! :D

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Haha me too! :D


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** Gosh I wish we lived in the Fairy Tail world. I always wanted magic powers (who didn't?) and I think that I would either use ice or magic like Jellal's whatever it is called haha. If you could choose what type of magic would you have? :)

Chapter 23

"Luce. Oi, Luce. Luuuuucy. Wake up already, Luce!"

The said blonde groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. Her alarm clock hadn't rung yet, meaning that she didn't have to wake up yet. And if she didn't have to wake up yet, she sure as hell wasn't going to. So why in the world was Natsu poking her head over and over again and practically yelling in her ear?

"Shut up, Natsu!" Lucy hissed, taking the pillow and throwing it at the boy. She then laid her head back onto her bed and tried to sleep once more, only to be prodded repeatedly. Reluctantly lifting her head and sporting a harsh glare, the girl faced the boy and shouted, "What the hell do you want!?"

Natsu stifled a laugh at the angry expression he was given and instead replied, "I'm hungry. Make me something before I go to school."

Lucy's brow twitched in irritation as she questioned, "Make you something? You woke me up early in one of the most annoying ways possible so I could make you breakfast?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right!" Natsu answered, grinning mischievously at the blonde.

"Natsu, get the hell out of my room before I kill you! Make your own breakfast!"

"But Luuucy, I don't know how to cook!"

"Figure it out. It's not that hard. Just make yourself a sandwich. You can't possibly mess anything up doing that."

"A sandwich?" Natsu repeated with a displeased face. Sighing, he turned and headed out of the room saying, "Fine, but don't blame me if your kitchen is a mess afterwards."

Lucy sighed happily, rolling onto her stomach and shoving her face deep into the blankets, which still smelt like Natsu and held his warmth. Sleep was quickly overcoming her once again. That is, until she recalled Natsu's words.

" _Don't blame me if your kitchen is a mess afterwards."_

Groaning, the blonde sat reluctantly and stretched her body. She knew she had to get out there fast before Natsu really got to work on making a sandwich. She didn't know how, but he always managed to destroy the place whenever he tried to do anything food related. Once she left him alone to use the restroom and came back to the kitchen looking as if a tornado flew through it. And that was because he was getting himself a glass of juice. Who knows what would happen if he actually tried making something without her help?

But alas, it was too late as Lucy found herself rushing to the kitchen only to discover it was a complete mess. Dishes were stacked in various places, the countertops were slathered in peanut butter and grape jelly, and there was a huge puddle of orange juice on the floor.

Lucy sighed, figuring she should've expected it. Nonetheless, the urge to yell was too strong. Thus…

"Natsu, what the hell happened!?" she screeched, marching up to the cowering boy. "You were here by yourself for not even a minute!"

Natsu chuckled and anxiously rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you see… I made one sandwich for breakfast that I ate right away and figured I would make lunch while I was at it. So I went to make a sandwich like you said, but then I went to find a container for it because I can't just bring a sandwich out in the open, you know? That's why the dishes are all over the place."

"I understand the peanut butter and jelly on the counters and now I even understand all the dishes, but why the hell is there orange juice on the floor?"

"Oh, that! When I was trying to get the jelly from the fridge I accidentally knocked the orange juice carton over and it broke. They should really make those things stronger!"

Lucy groaned for the umpteenth time that day and ran her hand down her face. "They aren't made to be dropped, idiot."

Natsu chuckled and replied, "Oh well. Look at the sandwich I made, Luce! Looks pretty good, huh?"

The said blonde arched a brow as she studied the sandwich. It was oozing grape jelly, jelly that Natsu had better clean off the floor along with the juice. The girl was about to point his out when she saw the huge grin lighting up the boy's face. She couldn't help but find it adorable and smile too.

"Good job, Natsu," Lucy said as she retrieved a Ziploc bag for his sandwich.

"Thanks, Luce!" Natsu replied as he wiped up his messes. When that was all done, it was time for him to head out for school. If he left a minute later he would've been late and Erza surely would've had his head. Planting a fast kiss on the girl's lips, he gave one last toothy grin before dashing out the window.

Lucy smiled to herself and shook her head. " _He's a dork, but at least he's my dork."_

* * *

"Natsu, get over here!" Erza shouted once she saw the pinkette, followed by Gajeel. It was lunchtime and there was somebody he had to meet sitting between her and Gray.

The said boy glanced at the redhead before jogging up to their usual table. His eyes flickered to the new person at their table for a second before returning to Erza.

"Did you need something?" he asked, taking his seat on the other side of the redhead, Gajeel sitting next to him.

Erza nodded as she gestured to the girl sitting next to her. She had pink hair like him, though hers was darker. Her eyes were a nice shade of green, contrasting with her hair. Something glinted in her eyes, though Natsu wasn't sure what. She had bangs swooped to the side and most of her hair tied in a ponytail, though there was some wavy framing around her face.

"This is Meredy," Erza announced, seemingly surveying Natsu's face for any type of reaction.

Natsu arched a brow but smiled nonetheless at the newcomer. "Yo! I'm Natsu!"

Meredy returned the smile and replied, "It's nice to meet you!"

"Meredy is friends with Gray's sister, Ultear. And she's friends with Jellal," Lisanna informed him. "She just transferred here!"

"I'm friends with Juvia too!" Meredy added happily.

Cana took a swig of her flask and grinned mischievously at Natsu, though he figured it was because of the alcohol. "Ya mind showing her around town, Natsu? She's new here and could sure use the help, isn't that right, Meredy?"

The said girl mirrored the smile and nodded her head. "Yep! Is that alright with you, Natsu?"

Natsu eyed the group suspiciously and questioned, "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because I said so," Erza answered, though it wasn't a helpful answer at all.

"Well I can't, Lucy and I work at the restaurant after school. Sorry, Meredy."

"I wouldn't mind going to a food place! I'm sure I'll be starving after school!" the female pinkette replied excitedly. Too excitingly for Natsu's taste.

Shrugging it off, the boy grinned and said, "Alright then! I'll show you the restaurant after school! We gotta go pick up Lucy before then though."

"Sounds good to me!"

The rest of the group bit back smiles as their plan- well, _Levy's_ plan- was going smoothly so far. Lucy and Natsu didn't have a chance against all of them. Gray eyed Natsu before pulling out his cellphone and typing a text for his girlfriend.

"Are you sure making Lucy jealous is a good idea?" he asked, still not sure about it.

Within seconds he received a text from Juvia saying, "Levy says so. And Juvia thinks so too. Natsu spent months jealous because of Hibiki, Lucy needs to know what it feels like too."

"But why?" Gray typed quickly. "They're almost together, wouldn't this be doing more harm than good?"

"Juvia doesn't think so. Meredy is just there to show Lucy what she wants, which is an official relationship with Natsu! Levy thinks it'll be interesting."

Gray sighed knowing he wasn't going to win. After all, Erza seemed to be fond of this plan. Gray didn't know how he got all caught up in his roommate and frenemy's love-life, but he knew that he wanted to get this over as soon as possible. Natsu- though he would never admit it aloud- was his closest friend. And Lucy was like a sister to him. If they needed help in all of this- which clearly they did- he would help them. Meaning he would go along with this plan, though he deemed it stupid.

* * *

"Yo, Luce!"

The said girl excitedly whipped her head to the sound of Natsu's voice, a bright smile glued to her face. That smile however dropped once she saw another girl with him, one that was much too close for her liking. To make matters worse, she was highly attractive with wavy pink hair and refreshing green eyes. Plastering a fake smile to her lips, Lucy strut towards the two, her blunette friends following behind and holding back snickers and smiles.

"Who is this?" Lucy asked pleasantly, smiling at the female pinkette.

"This is Meredy," Natsu introduced, gesturing to the girl next to him.

"Nice to meet you!" Meredy said.

"You too," Lucy politely replied, though she would be lying if she said she was a hundred percent truthful about her statement. Just who was this girl?

"I'm showing Meredy around because she's new to Magnolia," Natsu informed her, seemingly reading her mind.

"Oh, that's nice! We have work though!"

"I'm going with you guys!" Meredy exclaimed, latching onto Natsu's arm.

Lucy's brow twitched as she fought the urge to pounce. Luckily, she didn't need to as Natsu shook the girl off of him with a puzzled look. Breathing a sigh of relief, the blonde grabbed Natsu's hand, intertwined their fingers together, gave one last look to Meredy, and led the way to Makarov's Diner.

Work was a bit on the slower side during the first half of their shifts but steadily began to pick up to the point that Lucy always found herself moving. Whether it be to the kitchen or to a customer, her feet hadn't had a break. That is, until she found Natsu giving Meredy, who was sitting in a lone booth, a plate of fries. Her stomach churned as she watched Meredy apparently say something funny as Natsu bent over in laughter. Delivering a plate of food to a customer, the blonde couldn't take it anymore and she marched towards the two. Grabbing Natsu's unsuspecting arm, she twirled around and planted a kiss directly onto his lips. Natsu let out a confused sound as he gently grabbed Lucy's shoulders and pushed her away. His brow was arched and he stared at the blonde quizzically.

"What are you doing, Lucy?" he asked. "We're at work."

"I-I don't know," she answered, embarrassed to actually be turned down in front of the girl that was trying to steal her boyfriend. " _Wait, he's not my boyfriend. Which means that he's technically up for grabs… Meaning that Meredy isn't doing anything wrong…"_

"Lucy?" Natsu questioned, waving a hand in front of her face until she was brought out of her own world. "Are you okay?"

The girl feigned a smile and nodded. "Sorry about that. I should really go get back to my customers!" Lucy turned on her heel and quickly made her way to the kitchen.

Natsu watched Lucy's retreating figure, worry and concern ebbing at him. He knew that something was wrong with her but he couldn't name what. Perhaps he did something wrong? Recalling the day's events, he couldn't remember doing anything bad. Maybe it was when he rejected kissing her?

"Is she your girlfriend?" Meredy asked, bringing the boy out of his thoughts.

"Nah," Natsu answered, his gaze still glued to the kitchen.

"But you two kissed and it's clear you guys are something," Meredy replied.

Natsu turned his gaze to his newest friend and sighed. "Yeah, we're something. But I think I did something to upset her."

Meredy stifled a smirk as she replied, "Wanna know what I think? I'm pretty great at understanding girls. I can help you."

Onyx eyes brightened as Natsu immediately perked up. "You can?"

"Of course! I think that Lucy-san is a bit jealous."

"Jealous? No, that can't be it. Who would she even be jealous of?"

"Me, silly. She probably saw you talking to me and got jealous and that's why she came over here and kissed you. To claim her property in front of the threat."

"You think so? But that doesn't make sense. Why would Lucy get jealous when she already knows I love her?"

"Well, how would you feel if you saw Lucy-san smiling and laughing with some guy that you didn't know?"

Natsu frowned immediately at the thought and began understanding Lucy's feelings. "What am I supposed to do then?"

Meredy smiled and answered, "Well, I think that making it official will calm her nerves. That would just be a reminder that you love _her_ and are completely serious about her."

Natsu frowned again and replied, "But I don't know if Lucy wants that. She just got out of a relationship with somebody else."

"Do _you_ want one?"

Natsu's frown deepened as he considered the question. Did he want a relationship? He didn't even see the point of a title or label. He loved Lucy without it and she loved him too. What was the point?

" _Well, maybe other guys will back off since she's taken,"_ he thought, immediately warming up to the idea. _"Yeah! And that would make Lucy feel better too!"_

Grinning, Natsu then knew what he had to do. He never wanted a relationship before. He thought they were wastes of time and pointless. But Lucy was changing him. Before that was what he feared, that their tattoos would change him. But now he saw that some changes weren't so bad. Not everything was meant to stay the same and that was okay. So, it was time to start planning.

 **AN:** I don't know what to say lol.

 **PineappleText:** Yes Nalu! :D Infinite Nalu!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** What can't Levy do? :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** HAHAHA OOPS. See, I never actually rate my stories and just always leave it on K lol. I really didn't even expect to right that last chapter lmao. Truth is, I don't know what the difference is in ratings that's why I just don't rate it. I'll make sure to go change it lol.

 **Beautifullove521:** Thank you so much I'm glad you like it. :')

 **Katiekat2001:** SO SWEET THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 **Musicalocelot:** Hahahaha I know that now! I truly wasn't expecting to write that stuff it just happened lol!

 **Biyiksizkedi:** THE NEWEST CHAPTER WAS FREAKING AMAZING I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I will buy it when it comes out lol. I just loved the Nalu so much. :') And thank you so much! :D

 **XxTentenxX179:** HAHA I know, I've never written anything like that before lmao. I just thought I would try something new haha!

 **Snavej:** Haha I love that you referred to them as the idiots, it made me laugh. Thanks for the review! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Lmao they go away eventually! :D Hahaha thank you! :D

 **IVCelestialDragonSlayerVI:** Oooh if I drag it out I don't think that it would be good. :( Like I'm already sort of running low on ideas for this story so I think that it's good I end it when I come up with an ending. :( I'm glad you're caught up though! And I will be posting another Nalu AU story after this one is finished in case you're interested so there will be more Nalu. :)

 **Sarara1.8:** So close yet so far! :D Haha I don't think I would ever write a sex scene I am just not good at that kinda stuff lmao!

 **MirrorFlame:** HAHAHAAHA OMFG DID I NOT PUT THE "*"!? OH SHOOT I HOPE I PUT IT IN! HAHAHAHHA MY BAD IF I DIDN'T!

 **CelestialDragon14:** Awww thank you so much that means a lot. :') I'm glad that you've stuck through with it so far. :') I've been losing some reviewers but you and the other regulars keep me going! :D

 **Fairytailnumer1Anime:** Hahahaha I had a dream about the newest chapter that came out and it was great. I love nalu dreams. :')

 **Alexa60765:** I WILL ALWAYS UPDATE! :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** Oh don't worry about it! I know how busy hs can make people! And hahaha don't we all wish that happened? :D Thanks for another review! :)

 **21jhauptman:** Hahaha nooooo Lucy is not too much of a blabber mouth to tell them something THAT private haha! :D (though if they did find out that would be awesome)

 **Lunahartzsissy:** OOOH tell me about it and your crush! ;D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Hahahaha yes it was a bit steamy! Much steamier than I intended lmao!

 **Sorabhsorabh:** That wasn't the end! Thanks for the review! :D

 **AnimeFairy2424:** Haha yes, this story is such a rocky road. I've never had such an unpredictable story before it's been crazy. But hopefully now it's smooth sailing for the two! :D


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Long chapter this time! Btw, I know this is short notice, but the next chapter is the last. I've been asked by a lot of you to stretch it out more but if I do that I don't think it would end well. :( This story was unpredictable enough that I eventually ran out of ideas so it's good that I'm ending it haha! There will be an epilogue though!

Chapter 24

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me! How did it go?"

"Oh it went great! Just like you said!"

"Give me the details!"

"Well, she got jealous, just like you said. And it looks like he is as dense as you said. He didn't even know that she was jealous. I had to explain that and why she was. But it looks like he's thinking of it now."

"He is?"

"Yep!"

"That's great! Are you still at the restaurant?"

"Nope! I'm heading home now!"

"Oh, okay! Thanks again for doing all of this! I'll talk to you later!"

"Alright! Tell Juvia I said hi!"

"Will do! Bye!"

"Bye!"

Meredy sighed happily as she ended her conversation with Levy, who she had just met the other day. It was a strange day. Jellal called her and recruited her for a top secret and important mission, when in reality it was just making some girl jealous. She definitely didn't expect to be doing something like that on her first day at Magnolia High. Nonetheless, it was a pretty fun and eventful day.

"I'm home!" the girl cried out as she entered a quaint apartment on the opposite side of town.

"Oh, welcome home, Meredy!" Ultear greeted from the living room.

Meredy smiled at the older woman, one that she looked up to as her own mother. It was a strange situation. See, after Gray, Ultear, and Lyon's mother Ur died, relations between the three were difficult and strained. Lyon moved to a whole other city and hardly kept in touch while Gray urged he moved out as well and found an apartment, which ended up being how he met Natsu. Eventually things between the siblings got better, though they didn't move back in together. Not too long after, Ultear found Meredy trying to steal food from her kitchen- apparently she left a window unlocked- and ended up taking her in. Meredy grew up under Ultear's care, seeing her as her mother, making Gray like her uncle- though she thought of him more as a cousin given their similar ages.

"How did things go with Gray's friends?" Ultear questioned, handing a plate of warm food to the pinkette.

Meredy accepted the plate gratefully and answered, "It went well!"

"Is Natsu still a trouble maker?" Ultear asked with an amused smile.

"From what I saw today, I think so. Are you sure those two are best friends? They bicker a lot."

Ultear chuckled and replied, "Oh, they're just being idiotic boys. So the mission went well?"

"Yep! I think he's going to ask out Lucy-san!"

"Do they need your help in anything else?"

Meredy smiled and shook her head. "Nope! It's all up to them now."

* * *

Lucy sighed as she sat in one of the booths and rubbed her feet. Even wearing flats caused her feet to ache after such a tiring shift. The blonde sighed once more as she recalled what happened earlier. She had embarrassed herself and acted like a fool in front of Natsu in an attempt to get his attention away from Meredy. Now he might not even want to see her at all.

"Lucy?" Natsu's voice rang out in front of her. "You okay?"

The said girl lifted her gaze and reluctantly met Natsu's, feigning a smile. "Yeah, my feet just hurt a bit. Are you ready to go?"

Natsu frowned with concern but nodded. "Yeah, the restaurant is all cleaned up. Let's go home."

The two began their walk home in an awkward silence. Neither knew what to say and were waiting for the other to say something, anything. Natsu glued his gaze to the sidewalk while Lucy gazed at the stars. The two walked a bit further from each other than usual and they both were not blind to it. However, they _were_ blind to the figures watching and following them.

"Are we seriously following them? Isn't this an invasion of privacy?" Gray asked as he hid behind a building.

"No, of course not!" Levy protested, peeking out to take another look at the two.

"We're just making sure things go according to plan," Erza added.

"Juvia just hopes they don't mess it up," the blunette chimed in.

"Again," Gajeel muttered.

Gray sighed and ran a hand through his dark locks of hair. "I know I said I would go along with the whole jealousy thing, but spying on them is a bit much."

"Shh! Just watch!" Levy replied.

Meanwhile, the watched pair were finally arriving at the blonde's apartment. They wordlessly entered the small home and situated themselves on the couch. They sat at opposite ends and locked their gazes to anything but each other.

Natsu couldn't help but bob his legs up and down as he fumbled with the end of his scarf. The silence was unnerving and the fact that he didn't know what to say made it even worse. He wanted a relationship. He knew this now. But how was he supposed to _say_ it? He knew that some boys made grand gestures with roses and gifts. Natsu didn't have time for that nor was that his style. Taking a deep breath, the boy nodded to himself as he mustered up his courage. He didn't know if Lucy wanted a relationship after what happened with Hibiki, but he was going to ask regardless. It was now or never.

"Hey, Luce…" he lamely started, still averting his gaze from the blonde.

Lucy's head perked a bit at the sudden voice and replied, "Yeah, Natsu?"

Natsu reluctantly turned to face the girl, his movements stiff and rigid, similar to a robot. His palms were clammy and his throat was dry. Clenching his pants, which were stained with various sauces from the restaurant, he released another deep breath and began to speak.

"L-Lucy, I wanted to talk to you about something," Natsu stated, finally bringing his onyx eyes to meet Lucy's chocolate ones.

The blonde arched a brow. Natsu never stuttered unless he was scared talking to Erza. Usually he was fearless and spoke perfectly, never stammering. He must've been nervous about something.

" _Shit, is he about to break up with me?"_ Lucy wondered, feeling panicked at the thought. _"Wait, we aren't together, he can't be breaking up with me. Unless he's trying to call everything off. Oh Mavis."_

"Lucy, you listening?"

The said girl jumped in her seat as she noticed Natsu's tanned hand waving in front of her face. Sitting up and bracing herself, the blonde nodded, signaling the boy to continue. Natsu eyed Lucy but decided to go on anyways.

"Lucy, I've been thinking a lot lately," he said in a softer tone than usual.

"Don't hurt yourself," Lucy weakly joked, chuckling to herself.

Natsu smiled at the blonde, glad to have gotten a joke out of her. "Thanks, Luce. Just what I needed to hear. Look, I've been thinking about the future lately…"

"Oh yeah?"

Natsu swallowed thickly and nodded. "Yeah. Before I always thought that my future involved looking for my dad all by myself. It was lonely to think about but it's what I wanted. But now… I can't picture a future without you."

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat as she took in Natsu's words. He couldn't picture a future without her? She never imagined hearing something so sweet and meaningful come out of his mouth. Yet now that she heard them, she wanted to hear more. She could see the insecurity and the desperation on his pink-dusted face. She could hear the want in his voice. She could feel the love emanating from him.

"G-Go on…" Lucy finally breathed out with an encouraging, small smile.

Natsu returned the smile and continued, "I don't want that anymore. I mean, I do wanna find my dad-"

"And you will one day," Lucy interrupted, placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

Natsu nodded and went on, "I will. But that's not all I want anymore. I do want to find my dad, and I _will_ find him. But I also wanna spend my life with you. I don't want to be alone. I want all the stuff I thought was stupid before. I wanna get married and have kids- I never thought having kids were stupid, I just thought I would never do that. A-Anyways, I wanna do all that stuff and I wanna do it all with you."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the boy in front of her.

"And I know that you just got out of a relationship with Hibiki. I know. But we've known each other for a while and I've been in love with you for most of it so I can say with complete confidence that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with." He released a chuckle and added, "It also helps that the tattoos we have tell us that too. Anyways, Luce. I want all that stuff in the future. We've got plenty of time before then, but for now… Why don't you and I you know… _date?"_

Lucy smiled and reached for Natsu's warm hand. She gave it a little squeeze before nodding her head.

"I never thought you could be so _cheesy,"_ she teased, laughing at the embarrassed expression that spread across his face and receiving a gentle nudge. "But yeah, let's date. I want all of those things too. Before I always wanted a perfect boyfriend and I had my head wrapped around the idea that he was supposed to be some knight in shining armor and was supposed to be just like me. Before I didn't want marriage because of- well, I don't even have to explain that one, do I? Point is, all of that changed with you. You aren't just like me. You're more like the dragon than the knight. But now I know that I wouldn't have it any other way. I know I wasn't the best girlfriend in my last relationship but I can promise to do better in this one."

Natsu smirked and questioned, "How so?"

Lucy returned the expression and answered, "For starters, I won't be in love with some other guy the whole time. I'm all yours, Natsu Dragneel."

Meanwhile, outside the apartment were Levy, Juvia, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Jellal, Lisanna, and Cana as they all eavesdropped through the thick wooden door. The two's muffled voices were almost impossible to hear at first, but with Gajeel's strangely amazing hearing ability, they were able to get the good stuff.

"Sheesh, never knew the Salamander was so cheesy," Gajeel muttered, looking as though he were about to hurl.

"Oh hush," Levy replied. "Need I remind you all of the cheesy stuff you said to me?"

"This is a great turn of events," Erza chimed in. "Things are going exactly according to plan."

"Indeed," Jellal added. "We should leave now and give them some privacy."

Cana took a swig from her flask and shook her head. "Oh hell no. This is the best entertainment I've gotten in a while. I've been rooting for these idiots since the beginning, there's no way in hell I'm leaving without all the details. Besides, Mira would kill us if we left now."

Gray shivered as he nodded his head. "I can believe that."

"I agree with Cana," Lisanna stated. "I've been wanting Natsu to find somebody and now that he did, I gotta hear everything!"

"You're all too nosy," Jellal said with a sigh. "But fine. I suppose we could listen some more."

Back in the apartment, Natsu and Lucy were still discussing everything. Their hearts were light as feathers and their smiles hadn't vanished once. Warmth spread through their bodies and it was as if it had no intention of stopping.

"So you wanna get married, huh?" Lucy questioned, adorning a smirk.

A light blush fanned Natsu's face as he tried to hide it behind his scarf. "So? You do too."

Lucy giggled and replied, "Yeah, but I wasn't expecting that from you! Look, now I'm excited! It sucks we have to wait so long."

"Says who?" the boy inquired with a wide grin. "Let's just get married!"

Lucy's eyes practically bulged from their sockets as her cheeks were set ablaze. "W-What!? No way! We can't! We're still in high school!"

"So? We're going to do it eventually, might as well do it now. Sounds fun, let's do it!"

"My dad will kill you, Natsu. He won't even hire somebody to do it, he will actually come here and kill you with his bare hands."

"Bring it on! I'm all fired up!"

Lucy sighed as she shook her head. "No way. I'm way too young to get married."

Natsu frowned and crossed his arms when an idea popped in his head. He dashed out of the living room and into the blonde's bedroom, ignoring her questions and shouts. When he returned, he held out a white, mid-thigh length lace dress and a small snowman plush from her bed.

"Get up," he instructed with a wide grin plastered to his face.

Lucy arched a brow but obliged. "What are you doing?"

Natsu ignored her question and said, "Put this on!"

Many questions clouded the blonde's mind but she shrugged them off and took the dress, heading into her bedroom to put it on. It was a casual dress, nothing too fancy. It flared above the hips and had a sweetheart neck line. The flowery lace was what she adored most about the dress. Once finished changing into it, the blonde stepped back out to find Natsu straightening his work uniform. When he laid his eyes on her, his jaw dropped and his cheeks tinted pink. Lucy couldn't help but giggle and blush as well.

"Why did I change into this dress, Natsu?" Lucy questioned as she walked up to the boy."

Natsu gave his signature fanged grin and answered, "Since you are pretty serious about us not getting married yet, I figured we could just have a practice wedding right now!"

Lucy's eyes widened and her jaw hung on its hinges as she stared deeply into Natsu's dark eyes. She always thought he was dense and that he wasn't much of the romantic kind. Their relationship was more about teasing and having fun. And she was fine with that. That was what she loved most about Natsu. But damn did he know how to be romantic as well. Smiling, she nodded at the boy and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"That sounds fun," she stated. She then noticed her plush, Plue, and arched a brow. "What's Plue for?"

"Plue?" Natsu inquired in return. "Oh, you mean the snowman?"

"He's a dog."

"Luce, in what world is _this_ a dog?"

"Shut up! Plue is a dog, not a snowman!"

Natsu chuckled and replied, "Looks like I'll have to deal with your bad eyesight if I wanna marry you because clearly your eyes are messed up if you think this is a dog." He saw that Lucy was about to argue and continued, "Alright, alright. Dog. Plue is a dog."

"You have no room to talk about animals when you have a blue cat," Lucy muttered under her breath.

"Happy can talk too."

"He what!?"

"Sheesh, Luce. I'm kidding. He's a cat, of course he can't talk."

Lucy slapped the boy on his upper arm and glared at him. "Can we just pretend getting married already?"

Natsu chuckled and ruffled the blonde's hair. "Alright. Anyways, Plue is supposed to be the bouquet that the girls are supposed to throw at the end."

"I can't throw Plue!" Lucy childishly protested. "That's mean!"

The boy groaned and ran a hand down the side of his face. "It's a stuffed animal!"

"I'm not throwing Plue!"

Glaring at the blonde in front of him, Natsu walked into the kitchen and retrieved a small hand towel.

"Can you throw this?" he asked.

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

The pinkette grinned and replied, "Now let's pretend get married! I'm all fired up! Do you take me to be your husband?"

"I do," Lucy answered, giggling afterward. "Do you take me to be your wife?"

"Hell yeah! I now pronounce us husband and wife!"

"The princess and the dragon," Lucy added with a soft smile. "You may now kiss the bride."

Natsu grinned as he swooped down and planted his warm lips onto Lucy's plump ones. Their lips meshed perfectly together while Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning heavily into the kiss and savoring the spicy taste of his lips.

Meanwhile, the group of friends outside the apartment were either wearing bright smiles or disgusted grimaces. Juvia clasped her hands together as she swooned over the sweet words Gajeel recited to the group and wished she could hear them for herself. After all, Gajeel nearly puked repeating some of the sweet words Natsu said.

"Kya! This is so romantic!" the blunette squealed. "Juvia wants to pretend getting married too with her lovely Gray-sama!"

The girl then launched herself at her unsuspecting boyfriend, causing him to yelp and fall backwards, slamming into the wooden door with a loud thump.

"Did you hear that?" Lucy asked as she begrudgingly pulled away from the kiss.

"I did," Natsu answered.

"They heard us and they're coming," Gajeel informed the group, who began to panic and scramble.

"Run!" Levy hissed after hearing the knob turn, only to be stopped by a gentle hold on her wrist. Turning around, she gasped at the sight of her golden-haired friend holding her wrist, her eyes narrowed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucy questioned, putting her hands on her hips.

"L-Lu-chan! It's good to see you!" Levy replied with fearful eyes.

"What are you guys doing here?" Natsu inquired. "And what's Juvia and Ice Pick doing on the floor?"

"Shut it, Ash Breath," Gray replied, standing up and helping his girlfriend to her feet. A smirk etched itself on his face as he asked, "Who knew you could be so romantic?"

Natsu's confused expression immediately morphed into one of horror after realizing they heard all the stuff he said. Cana snickered and swung an arm over this shoulder.

"Man, I wish I had my own little Natsu," she teased. "Then I could pretend getting married too! Tell me, were you two going to pretend consummate the marriage too?"

The couple flushed head to toe as Lucy shouted, "Of course not! Sheesh, why are you guys here anyways!?"

"They wanted to see if their plan worked," Jellal informed the blonde.

"What plan?"

"Their plan to make you jealous and get you guys together."

"Wait, what!?"

Jellal shrugged and explained, "Meredy is my friend and they asked me to recruit her to flirt with Natsu to make you jealous. They figured you would talk it out and get together and it looks like they were right."

Lucy groaned and glared at her petite friend. "This was your plan wasn't it?"

"M-Maybe," Levy answered. "But hey, it worked well for you guys in the end, right? No harm done! You can thank me later!"

"Wait so Meredy didn't need help around the town?" Natsu questioned, still wrapping his head around everything.

"Nope," Gray answered. "She lives with my older sister and has lived here for years. She's just been going to a private school."

"You guys are ridiculous," Lucy said. Still, she couldn't help but find the whole thing amusing. It showed how much her friends were looking out for her and thanks to them, she and Natsu were in an official relationship.

"You got food, Lucy?" Cana asked. "All this sneaking around made me hungry."

"Oh, Juvia too!"

"I could go for some grub," Gajeel added.

Lucy sighed in exasperation but nodded her head. "C'mon in, we can all have dinner together."

Everyone grinned and squeezed past the blonde. Natsu stood by Lucy and chuckled.

"We sure have some invasive friends, don't we?" he joked.

Lucy laughed and answered, "We do. I can't believe they easily played us like that!"

"We'll get them back some day," the pinkette assured. "For now, let's go eat. I'm starving!"

With that, Lucy nodded with a happy smile planted on her face. It was an interesting way to get with her now boyfriend, but she wouldn't have changed it for the world. She had a great boyfriend and great friends and nothing would ever change that.

 **AN:** I loved this chapter and I wish my friends were like this lol. Such a great group of friends!

 **Snavej:** They are all idiots, even the smart ones like Levy and Lucy. Still idiots and I love them for that. :')

 **Nalulove:** WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS ON ALL OF MY STORIES. :D It means sooooo much! And I hope you catch up soon! (But probably won't since you're reviewing all of my nalu stories so I'm sure that'll take a while.) Thanks again. :')

 **Katiekat2001:** Thanks again! :D

 **Grimnack:** Good guess but nope! Things surprisingly worked out well for them. :') Thank Mavis.

 **I'mJustThatGood:** I actually do ship Mira and Laxus! :D I've said in a much earlier chapter (I think chapter six) that they have matching tattoos. :') And even though I love Mira, she isn't a main character in this story and so I will try to squeeze a moment in for them but it won't be anything too significant! Thanks for the review! :)

 **Fairy tail:** Yep Meredy was an accomplice! :D And now they're official. :')

 **Raindoll28:** Oh yes he did say that before when he just met Lucy! But luckily things changed over the months he's gotten to know her and now he does want to be in a relationship. :') Thanks for the review!

 **MirrorFlame:** I like Meredy too! I think she has great character development. :') And oooh I have no idea. I probably wouldn't tell him the whole "It's going to be okay she'll recover" thing because I am a strict believer of not giving false hope but that's a tough one. :( I would probably research about the topic and just let him vent in all honesty because I don't know what it's like!

 **Guest:** Is this Lunahartz? I have a feeling it is! But he sounds like a sweet kid from the short description you gave! Hope things go well with him. :)

 **Zerophelia:** THE NALU IS OFFICIAL YAY! :D And I know it's really hard to choose haha! I just always loved the thought of ice magic because I think it's pretty haha! But I think Jellal's is pretty and powerful too! And I like celestial magic but I would prefer a more hands on thing! But then again now Star Dress lets Lucy have a bunch of different types so... Man now I would want to be a celestial mage too haha! It's just so hard to choose!

 **Craycraynalufan:** Oh haha that makes sense! And gotta love Lucy! :D

 **Avhaskake:** Hahaha thank you so much! :D Love the enthusiasm! And ultimate dragon slayer magic? That sound awesome! :D

 **21jhauptman:** Haha Meredy is a nice accomplice! :D And well it's going to the end so it's gotta be a happy ending! :D

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** Yeah I realized that I haven't had a jealous Lucy so I just had to add that haha! :D

 **Silver Ocean Jackson:** THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** Thank you for always reviewing. :)

 **OmfgNaLuontheroad:** THANKS FOR THE ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT! :D And I'm glad I cheered you up. :)

 **Guest:** Considering Natsu spent the first half of the story jealous I have to disagree with you! But thanks for the review! :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Oh you would be a great dragon slayer since you already have motion sickness haha! :D And yes Levy is an amazing evil genius I love her so much! :D

 **Alexa60765:** He did and the friends ruined the intimate moment lol! :D

 **An Amber Pen:** At least they aren't oblivious anymore! They're finally together :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Because her friends asked and she didn't see any harm in it! :D

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Oh that sounds like an awesome dream you should def make a fic out of it haha! :D

 **AnimeFairy2424:** Thank you so much! :D Haha it's about time they have some fluff!


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** Here it is, the last chapter! I definitely was not expecting this story to get over 500 reviews! Tbh, it's my least favorite of my Nalu stories, but you guys love it so that's why I kept writing it! Your support was what kept me going and thanks to everyone that followed/faved/read/reviewed. :')

Chapter 25

Lucy yawned and stretched her body as the sunshine peeked through her curtains and tickled her skin. A few days had passed since she and Natsu made their relationship official and it was finally Saturday. Everyone planned to meet at Fairy Tail at one and it was now nearing eleven. Facing the sleeping boy next to her, she smiled at the pleasant look on his face. His mouth was slightly opened with bits of drool oozing out and his brows were slightly furrowed. It was utterly adorable.

Lucy reached towards her nightstand and grabbed her phone, opening the camera app and pointing it directly onto Natsu's sleeping face. The girl bit back a giggle, excited to have a new screensaver. Just as she was about to take the picture, a warm hand encircled her wrist and brought her into a tight hug.

"Kya! Natsu, I thought you were sleeping!" Lucy shouted, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp.

"You're too loud," Natsu replied, hugging the blonde tighter. "Were you trying to take a picture of me while I was sleeping?"

"Well, technically I wasn't since you weren't sleeping," the girl answered. "I was going to send it to the group. I'm sure they would've gotten a kick out of it."

Natsu pulled away from the hug and revealed a wide smirk on his face. "No, but they will get a kick out of something else today. Sorry, Luce! You're the one that's going to be embarrassed!"

The blonde arched a brow and questioned, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember your punishment?"

"N-Natsu! I thought you were kidding!"

"Why would I be joking about something as awesome as that? Sorry, Luce! But it's time!"

The said girl groaned and buried her face into her pillow. "Can I at least choose the song?"

"Nope!" Natsu answered. His loud cackles filled the room, leaving Lucy to want to crawl in a hole.

"Fine, let's get this over with."

Lucy released a heavy sigh as she plucked her outfit for the day out of her closet. It was nothing too fancy, just a pink mini skirt and a black tee. Entering the bathroom, she made sure to lock the door as she got dressed.

" _Can't have Natsu peeking,"_ she mused, though a small smiled graced her lips at the thought.

Once finished getting dressed, the blonde slipped a pair of brown boots on and met up with her new boyfriend. She gasped once she saw that he was wearing actual clothes. Clothes that she had never seen before consisting of black jeans and an orange tee. Usually he only wore his strange coat or his uniform.

"What's the occasion?" Lucy questioned.

Natsu arched a brow as he followed her gaze and found she was talking about his clothes. "Oh nothing. My old clothes were just starting to stink."

"Where did you put them?"

"In your laundry basket, why?"

"As in with my clothes?"

"Yeah… Is that weird?"

"No, not weird. It's just funny that you think I'm going to wash your clothes for you," Lucy answered as she strut past the boy and towards the door.

Natsu smirked as he followed the blonde. "You always nag me about how my clothes need to be cleaned, why not do it for me?"

"You're hopeless," Lucy joked as she led the way to the pub. "Are you seriously going to make me sing again in front of everyone? You know, I'm not even embarrassed about it anymore, you might as well not even punish me."

The pinkette's smirk grew wider as he intertwined his fingers with his girlfriend's. "Oh yeah? Well, think of it as my reward instead then for being so patient. This'll be good!"

"Shut up. It's not going to be good! It's embarrassing!"

Natsu only cackled as he dragged the reluctant blonde. It was a nice walk considering the sun decided to make its first appearance in a while. A smile graced Lucy's lips at the sheer happiness she felt simply holding Natsu's hand. She had missed out on so much during the last three months, but it was definitely worth the wait. And fate sure did make her wait.

It was a long story of how she got with Natsu, but fate definitely made its mark with the two and it went all the way back to the beginning. If she hadn't had a falling out with her dad and eventually made up, she would've never transferred to Fiore Academy. And if she never transferred to Fiore Academy, the blonde never would've met Juvia and Levy, who introduced her to Natsu and her other friends. And if Hibiki hadn't come along, neither she nor Natsu would discover their feelings for each other. It was a long, complicated rollercoaster of a ride, but it was one that ended with pure bliss.

Finally, the two made it to the pub, much faster than Lucy would've liked. Everyone was already waiting for them at their signature table. It was clear they all knew what was happening seeing the wide smirks on their faces.

"You told them?" Lucy groaned once she got to the table.

Natsu cackled and answered, "Yep! Couldn't have them miss out on the show!"

"Hopefully she's better this time than when she was drunk," Lisanna teased.

Cana scoffed and replied, "That's not possible. Drunk singers are the best singers."

Mira then approached the table with a tray of food along with drinks. Lucy was awed at the silver-haired girl's ability seeing as how she herself dropped plenty of food while working at Makarov's Diner and yet Mira never seemed to drop a scrap despite holding so much.

"Thanks, Mira!" Lucy said.

She was about to reach for a mozzarella stick when her eyes landed on a figure standing behind Mira with his bulky arms crossed above his chest. He had blonde spikes of hair and a scar running down his eye. While Natsu and Gray were more of the leaned and toned type, this guy was buff and bulky like Gajeel, though this man's muscles protruded even more. He was sporting a disinterested frown as he waited for Mira to finish talking to Lisanna. All in all, he looked like a scary, angry man that should not be around somebody as happy-go-lucky as Mira.

"Who is that?" Lucy whispered into Loke's ear.

Her childhood friend followed her gaze and replied, "That's Laxus, Mira's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!?"

"Yeah, you didn't know? They've been together for years."

The blonde's eyes widened as she recalled the day after her drunken night at the pub when all the girls spent the night at her apartment.

" _Oh, then yeah that's perfect! What about you, Mira?"_

 _The somewhat older woman smiled at the blonde. Then she lifted her dress to show her left thigh which sported a flashy lightning bolt tattoo._

 _"Mira-nee already has her soulmate," Lisanna said with a giggle as she set the table._

"Oh so he's the one with the other lightning bolt tattoo?" Lucy questioned, grinning at Loke's nod.

"It's rude to talk behind somebody's back," a sudden, deep voice said from behind the blonde.

Lucy squeaked as she jumped in her seat and craned her neck to find Laxus standing behind her, his arms crossed. "S-Sorry!"

Mira giggled and waved the blonde off. "Don't worry about him! He's just a little grumpy this morning because another boy asked for my number and I won't tell him who!"

"Whatever," Laxus grumbled. "Let's go."

And with that, the couple were off to who knows where probably to argue more about the matter. Lucy released a sigh of relief now that the grumpy man was gone. After that, the group began to chat about a plethora of things that the day quickly turned to night. Cana was still chugging down whiskey, Erza was lecturing the boys, and Lucy chatted with the other girls about the boys' idiocy. Soon enough, Lucy found herself being dragged to the stage by both Cana and Lisanna, who were smirking and giggling at the blonde's misery.

"Guys, this is embarrassing!" she shouted, her cheeks going redder by the second.

"Want some of my whiskey? You weren't embarrassed when you were drunk," Cana offered with a sly grin.

"No I don't want any!"

"Sorry, Lucy!" Lisanna said, grabbing the blonde a microphone. "But Natsu said that this is your punishment, so you gotta do it!"

"Not you too, Lisanna!"

Beyond the stage the girl could hear Natsu's loud cackles. She wanted nothing more than to chuck the mic into his head but refrained seeing as how she didn't have the best aim anyways. Finally, music erupted in the bar as a song Lucy was familiar with began to play. The blonde groaned. She should've expected something as embarrassing as that to play. Taking a deep breath and giving her boyfriend one last angry glare, she began to sing.

 _I-I like big butts and I cannot lie_

 _You other brothers can't deny_

 _That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist_

 _And a round thing in your face_

 _You get sprung._

Lucy stifled a groan at her friends' obnoxious cackles. Even strangers in the room were laughing their butts off, some literally falling out of their seats. She could see Natsu's tears from the stage. Seeing her friends laughing and having a good time brought a small smile to her face though and soon her embarrassment began to fade away. Smiling, she sang even louder and danced around. That is, until the music randomly cut out, leaving the girl on the stage, confused.

"Enough of this crap!" a familiar gruff voice called from behind Lucy.

The blonde turned around and found Gajeel pulling a stool onto the stage, his guitar slung over his shoulder.

"G-Gajeel!?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Dance, Bunny Girl!" the scruffy teen replied, pulling out his guitar. "It's time I show these people true musical talent."

A vein in Lucy's forehead ticked as she shot back, "Is my singing not good enough?"

"Tsch. Can hardly even call that singing. Now dance!"

"I can't, this was my punishment!"

"I'll allow it!" Natsu shouted over their friends' laughter. "Dance, Lucy!"

Gajeel then strummed on his guitar and sang, his music a strange mixture of jazz and rock. Of course, it didn't sound good, especially for Lucy considering she was right next to him. She couldn't even figure out how to dance to his strange song and ended up just waving her arms aimlessly around.

"Argh, I can't take this anymore!" Gray cried out. He then threw his glass at Gajeel, the water that was in it splashing Lucy in the face. "Oh sorry, Lucy!"

But Lucy didn't have enough time to respond as Gajeel threw his stool- just barely missing the top of her head- at the other dark-haired boy.

"Why don't you come up here and fight me then, Gray!?" Gajeel barked.

Lucy sweat dropped and ran off the stage as a brawl erupted. Even Natsu forgot about her punishment as he joined the fight, delivering merciless punches and kicks. Even the girls joined the scuffle- besides Lucy and Levy, who were taking shelter behind the counter.

"Does this always have to happen?" Lucy groaned, cringing at the sound of Natsu's pained cry.

"Yep," Levy answered, sighing. "At least you don't have to dance anymore."

"That's true."

"Ahh, my Gray-sama is so strong!" Juvia gushed as she joined the other two girls behind the counter. "He's the strongest in the world!"

"I don't know, Gajeel is pretty strong too," Levy countered.

"Don't forget Natsu!" Lucy added.

The three girls stared each other down, their eyes narrowing by the second.

"MY BOYFRIEND IS THE STRONGEST!" they each cried out as they reached for nearby food.

And with that, they began to attack, though instead of using their fists they opted for food. The brawl was loud and intense, though the group's laughter echoed throughout the building. Even Erza had a smile playing at her lips as she fought the boys. Lucy laughed as she avoided a meatball thrown at her by Juvia and launched her own attack of spaghetti, just barely missing.

During the fight, her eyes landed on Natsu, who was fighting with Gajeel at the moment. Their gazes connected and they smiled at each other. Lucy gave a quick wave, which he returned with a toothy grin. Despite her clothes now being a canvas of food and her hair being a mess, the blonde couldn't deny that everything was perfect. She had a caring dad, a group of friends she could write books about, and a loving boyfriend. Nothing could go wrong.

There was a loud crash, causing Lucy to whip her head towards the sound. There, she found most of her friends piled up unconscious, sporting new bruises. Next to the pile was none other than Mira, wearing her usual smile, though it was much more sinister now. Lucy paled one the she-devil faced her, wanting nothing more than to run away.

"I'm sure you all will be cleaning this mess," Mira stated, her voice both calm and deadly.

Lucy had never been more scared in her life. A warm hand intertwined with her own and she turned to find Natsu. He looked scared to the core as well as he sprinted out of the pub, dragging her along.

"RUN!" he shouted, just barely missing an attack from Mira.

Finally the two made it out and were running back to Lucy's apartment.

"What about everyone else?" she asked.

Natsu chuckled and answered, "They'll have to clean!"

"You're cruel!"

"Did you wanna go back and deal with Mira and clean up?"

"…On second thought, let's run faster."

The two laughed as they ran hand-in-hand throughout the town. Their laughter filled the ears of everyone around, causing them to laugh as well as if it were contagious. Lucy stared at the back of her boyfriend's head with a bright smile while she recalled the day she turned sixteen and was chatting with her father.

 _"What does your tattoo look like anyways?"_

 _Lucy chuckled and answered, "Mine is actually a key too! But it's made of fire."_

 _"Fire?" he father asked, making a face. "I hope you aren't soulmates with a pyromaniac."_

 _The two shared a laugh and eventually it was time for her father to leave. Lucy laid in bed, recalling today's events. While she wasn't about to go screaming to the world about her new tattoo, she was glad to finally know she had a soulmate somewhere out there. She could only hope that her story with her soulmate was just as beautiful as her parents'._

Lucy chuckled to herself. Her soulmate was a pyromaniac in the end. But her story with her soulmate was beautiful, just like her parents', though it was much more complicated. Four months ago she was on the hunt for her soulmate, only to find out it was somebody that she least expected. It was her loud, brash best friend. She was lying to herself and even to others about her feelings. But now, she was happily with the boy of her dreams. She wouldn't have had it any other way. And she had the flaming key on her back to thank.

 **AN:** THE END! THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS! :'D THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE SO STICK AROUND. :')

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT! :D THANKS FOR REVIEWING EVERY CHAPTER IT MEANT SO MUCH!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** Hahaha thank you so much! Thanks for supporting all of my stories. :')

 **FireShifter:** Thank you I'm glad you liked it! :D

 **Sleepingbeauty445:** Thank you! :)

 **AnimeFairy2424:** YAY! Glad you liked! :)

 **NaluNom:** I KNOW THE LAST CHAPTER HAD ENOUGH FLUFF TO LAST THE STORY. Had to make up for all of the angst chapters haha! :D

 **Alexa60765:** HAHA THANK YOU! Haha sadly, boys are not like this in real life, even the sweetest ones!

 **DragonSlayerDiana:** OMFG I KNOW RIGHT. I wanted to rewrite that chapter so many times because he was OOC but I just couldn't think of anything else lmao!

 **Katiekat2001:** Thank you! Hope you liked the end! :D

 **PineappleText:** THANK YOU I HOPE YOU LIKED THE LAST CHAPTER!

 **21jhauptman:** Haha the fear of Mira was in this chapter too! :D And I know it's sad that it's ending but it must be done. :')

 **Nalulove:** Wow you're reading all of the stories fast haha! Glad you like them! :D

 **Guest:** I never thought you were trying to be mean! I just said that I disagree with you! :) Regardless of Levy and the others, I don't think that _I_ am Natsu biased because I made him suffer the most in this story (and all my other ones tbh). I make Lucy suffer and I make Natsu suffer, that's just how I like writing. :D

 **BloodRedRubies:** Omg I was so sad with the new FT chapter. I can't wait for the others to find out, especially Mira! I think that Mira was the closest to him tbh!

 **Zexalloverforever39:** Nalu forever. :')

 **Zeiyuu:** THANK YOU HAHA! I don't think that he would be super cheesy about it, I think he would just be really casual like it's no big deal haha! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** Oh haha I wasn't planning on showing how they get them back! I'll leave it up to your imagination haha! :D

 **Kamui-Kamuy:** I KNOW AFTER 24 FREAKING CHAPTERS. Too long for them to get together haha! But that chapter had enough fluff for the story lol!

 **Sarara1.8:** Thank you so much. :')

 **Lunahartz:** Hahahaha oh give me the details on this other dude!

 **Avhaskake:** Because if I don't end it, the story will start sucking. :') AND WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH! Tbh this is my least fav story of mine but I'm so glad you liked it. :')

 **MirrorFlame:** I'm not much of a venter either, I prefer to deal with things on my own. I wouldn't know how to deal with that. :(

 **Musicalocelot:** Haha thanks! :D Somebody wanted me to add Meredy and I figured this would be perfect for her! :D

 **Humbleblossom:** Thank you so much for reviewing from the beginning. :')

 **Biyiksizkedi:** Oh good job on your classes! :D I hope you liked this last chapter. :')

 **Fairytailnumber1Anime:** Thank you so much! :D


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Now this is my third finished Nalu story. :') Thank you all for the support! Those that reviewed especially because you guys really motivated me. :') Hope you all enjoy the last chapter!

Epilogue

It was a beautiful day in Acalypha. The sun was shining warm rays while birds chirped melodious tunes. Grass swayed side to side in the gentle breeze the day had to offer. All in all, it was peaceful, unlike how Lucy felt. No, Lucy Heartfilia was anything but peaceful that day as she paced back and forth in her old bedroom, her friends trying their hardest to calm her but to no avail.

"Lu-chan, calm down," Levy persisted, forcing the frantic blonde to take a seat on the king-sized bed.

Lucy covered her face with her hands and cried, "I can't! This isn't going how it's supposed to!"

Juvia frowned and stated, "Lucy, it really isn't that big of a deal…"

At this the girl whipped her head up towards her two blunette friends and scowled.

"Not a big deal?" she repeated, her brows furrowing. "So let me get this straight, Juvia. When your caterer canceled on you last second and you were a sobbing mess, was _that_ not a big deal?"

"No, of course-"

"And you, Levy," Lucy interrupted, turning her attention towards the other blunette. "When Gajeel scared the florist away, was _that_ not a big deal either?"

Levy, the maid of honor, sighed and answered, "Alright, fine. It kinda is a big deal…"

"I KNOW IT IS! How could everything go so wrong on the day that's supposed to be perfect!?"

Lucy whined into her hands, not caring if something were to happen to her perfectly applied makeup. It was her wedding day and absolutely _everything_ was going wrong. The caterer- who lied about her due date- went into labor and had to cancel, her florist was a no-show, Natsu was nowhere to be found, and the band was too high to function. Even her cake order- which was left to the caterer- was messed up as it was only enough to feed ten people. It was a complete disaster.

Tears pricked the blonde's eyes as she questioned, "Where did Natsu go?"

The two other girls shared a look and frowned. They didn't know where Natsu or any of the other boys disappeared to, but damn did they wish Natsu was there to calm Lucy's nerves because they certainly weren't doing a good job at it.

Lucy lifted her head at a sudden realization, temporarily forgetting all about her missing fiancé, and released a wry laugh.

"I have another terrible thing to add to the list," the girl sourly stated. "My veil is missing. That's just freaking great!" Lucy then rose to her feet and began pacing once again, though this time much more hostile. "You know what? I can deal with a missing veil, they're outdated anyways. And I don't need my caterer, we managed things decently enough. And I can even handle a missing florist. Who needs flowers? But what I cannot handle, is a missing fiancé who is supposed to freaking marry me in half an hour! I'm going home!"

The two blunettes' eyes widened as they worriedly chased the furious bride out the door.

"Lucy, wait!" Juvia called out. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere! You know how boys can be!"

"Yeah! They're probably just relieving some stress!" Levy added.

Lucy turned on her heels and faced her friends with an angry look plastered on her face. "What stress is there to relieve!? Natsu hasn't helped me plan this wedding at all and now he's disappeared! It's like… It's like he doesn't even want to marry me!"

At this, the tears that Lucy had been holding back began to spill from her large brown eyes. She clenched her fists while her shoulders shuddered. She knew that weddings never went according to plan but she certainly didn't expect it to completely fly off the rails.

"Lu-chan…" Levy said, pitying her best friend. She vowed to beat up Gajeel and the other boys later for pulling a vanishing act.

Lucy sighed and stated, "I don't need a fancy wedding. I don't care about the material things… But watching all of you go through your weddings and watching them be perfect and hearing you guys talk about how it was the best day of your life… I wanted that too. And it looks like my fiancé changed his mind…"

"Nonsense," a sudden voice rang out. Lucy turned to find it was Erza, followed by Lisanna and Cana.

The blonde frowned and replied, "How is it nonsense when he isn't even here for our wedding day?"

The redheaded beauty, who was adorned in a bridesmaid's blush pink dress that flowed graciously down to her ankles, walked towards the bride and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Have more faith in Natsu," she said, carefully wiping away the blonde's tears so as to not mess up her makeup more than it already was. "It's true that he didn't help plan any of this and he definitely could've left a note saying he would've been leaving today, but I know there is nothing more that he's been looking forward to."

Lisanna nodded and added, "She's right. When we were kids I used to tease him about this sorta stuff and he hated the thought of being married. But you have no idea how excited he was when he was talking about proposing and marrying you."

Cana swung an arm around Lucy and offered her flask. "Here, drink some."

Lucy sighed and replied, "Cana I don't wanna be drunk walking down the aisle."

"Not drunk. Just have a bit to help calm your nerves."

Lucy nodded and accepted the flask, downing a bit of the foul liquid. "Okay, if he wants to marry me, then where is he?"

"He's trying to fix things," Erza answered. "He wants this day to be perfect for you so he's been having the boys and us running around taking care of things."

"What do you mean?"

"I was put on cake duty since your caterer messed up. I got a big enough cake for the guests but it isn't as decorated as you wanted… In fact there are no decorations on it."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her nerves being calmed by the second. She really shouldn't have fretted so much and instead should've trusted Natsu.

"I wanna see him," the blonde announced. "I wanna see Natsu."

"Lu-chan, there's no time!" Levy countered.

"And it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress," Juvia added.

"They're right," Erza said, leading the blonde back into her room. "The wedding is starting soon. I don't know if Natsu and the others sorted everything else out but I know he will be there waiting for you to walk down the aisle."

"I know he will," Lucy replied with a small smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you girls and going crazy… You are seriously the best bridesmaids a bride could ever ask for."

"Don't mention it," Lisanna assured with a bright smile.

"Yeah, you wouldn't have been our first runaway bride," Cana added, jabbing Erza in the ribs only to be punched upside the head.

Lucy laughed and said, "Alright, I'm ready to get married."

The girls smiled back at their friend, glad that she had finally been calmed down. No matter what was missing from their wedding, it didn't matter as long as she had Natsu. After Juvia reapplied Lucy's makeup, it was time for the bridesmaids to line up in order to walk so they left. Lucy stared at herself one last time in the mirror.

The girl looked absolutely stunning. Juvia had only applied a small layer of makeup, giving more of a natural look that Lucy wanted. Her hair was tied into an elegant bun with curled locks framing her face. Her dress was the only thing that hadn't gone wrong and was her favorite. It had a sweetheart neckline, accentuating her already voluptuous curves. Jewels were sewed in random parts of the bodice so as to sparkle from all angles while the skirt poofed above the hips while the border was hemmed in lace. The best part of all was that it had a low back, low enough to showcase her soulmate tattoo.

There was a knock at the door, prompting Lucy to leave. She went to her door and threw it open, smiling gently at her father, who was wearing a simple tuxedo. Of course Jude was against the wedding at first, not wanting to lose his "baby girl" but eventually gave Natsu his blessing after his third attempt.

"Hi, Papa," Lucy greeted.

Jude smiled back at his daughter and awed, wiping away tears that welled in his eyes. "You look stunning, Lucy."

"Thank you, father."

"But I think that this would complete your look," Jude said, bringing Lucy's missing veil from behind his back.

Lucy squealed and accepted the veil, hastily putting it on. "Where did you find this!?"

"I didn't, your fiancé did," Jude answered. "Now, it's time I walk my daughter down the aisle."

Lucy nodded and hooked her left arm with her father's right as they speedily walked to the front door, just barely able to make it in time. The ceremony was being held in their mansion's courtyard. It was spacious and decorated nicely. Lucy turned down more expensive and regal venues so that her mother's grave would be there.

"Your mother would be so happy to see you getting married," Jude said as they stopped before the door.

Lucy wiped away a stray tear and replied, "She is watching. I know she is."

And with that, the two walked out of the grand doors and onto the makeshift walkway where guests were seated and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were lined up. Lucy's breath hitched in her throat and her heart soared at the sight of Natsu standing at the end of the aisle. He was wearing a simple tux that Lucy's dad paid for and his signature scarf. His pink locks were a mess as always, but Lucy wouldn't have wanted it any other way. This was her Natsu.

Meanwhile, Natsu gasped at the sight of Lucy. She looked absolutely stunning and the way she looked at him made his heart stop in his chest. The dress, the hair, all of it made her look like the sheer perfection that she was. Tears pricked his eyes as she continued to walk towards him but he didn't bother wiping them away. He was too entranced by his fiancé to care.

When Lucy parted ways with her father, she walked towards Natsu and stood in front of him, smiling through her happy tears with a blush spread across her cheeks. She could see that he was crying too as he looked her up and down. It felt too good to be true.

Makarov, who had been their boss years ago, began to facilitate the wedding while the couple refused to pry their eyes away from each other. They were in their own world, not hearing or seeing anything but each other.

"Natsu!" Makarov shouted, jolting the pinkette out of his thoughts. "I said it's time for the vows!"

Natsu smiled sheepishly while Lucy giggled behind her hand. The audience laughed while Gray and Gajeel groaned.

Natsu then cleared his throat to begin his vows. "Y-You look breathtaking, Lucy."

"Thank you, Natsu," Lucy breathed out. "But it's time for the vows."

The groom chuckled and replied, "I know, I know. I didn't write any."

"You what!?"

"Figured I would speak from the heart," Natsu answered with his signature grin. "Lucy, we've known each other for a long time now and you've made me a better person. You're winey, bratty sometimes, kinda annoying-"

"Hey!" Lucy pouted, slapping her fiance's arm.

Natsu chuckled and continued, "I'm making a vow, Luce. Gotta be honest! Anyways, you're also the nicest person I know and one of the strongest. You're brave and beautiful and for that, I promise to protect you with the rest of my life. I'll try to be less annoying and I'll try to start using the front door instead of the window, but I _promise_ to take care of you forever because I love you."

Lucy wiped away her tears, resulting in her mascara smearing.

Natsu cackled and shouted, "Luce, you look like you have a black eye!"

A vein ticked in the blonde's forehead as she punched Natsu upside the head. The audience sweat dropped while their friends only sighed at their childishness. Even on their own wedding day they couldn't stop annoying each other. But that's what made them, them.

"Idiot," Lucy muttered under her breath, only to smile seeing Natsu's bright grin. Then her mind blanked completely as she realized it was her turn to speak. "I-I wrote a long vow but I forgot."

Natsu smiled reassuringly at his soon-to-be wife and urged, "Just make one right now."

The blonde nodded and went on, "Natsu, I'm only strong because you give me strength. I'm only brave because you give me courage. You've given me a life of freedom and happiness that I've been craving my entire life. You make me smile and laugh and even on my worst days you're like a ray of sun shining on me, bringing me eternal happiness. For this, I promise to stand by your side, even when you steal my food or pull stupid pranks on me. I promise to love you with all that I can for the rest of my life."

The couple stared at each other with happy hearts and misty eyes. Though things were a disaster a mere half hour ago, things were complete now. Well, almost.

Makarov sniffled and announced, "Sheesh, forget all of these stupid speeches! I pronounce you brats as husband and wife. Now kiss the bride already!"

Natsu grinned as he gently grabbed Lucy by the wrist and pulled her in. He had been dying for this moment all day. Sliding an arm around her lower back, he pushed her closer and planted his lips among hers in a passionate kiss. Lucy's arms snaked around her neck and both smiled against each other's lips. The audience cheered and wiped away their happy tears, including Gray and Gajeel. When they pulled away, the smiled brightly at each other with flushed cheeks.

"Time to party!" Natsu announced, intertwining his hand with Lucy's and leading her back into the mansion for the reception.

Years ago they were having a pretend wedding with their friends eavesdropping from the door. Now, they were finally married with the same friends as their court. If that wasn't a perfect wedding, they didn't know what was.

* * *

During the reception, Lucy managed to sneak out of the mansion and visit her mother's grave in the courtyard. She placed a pink rose- courtesy of Jellal since he was apparently on flower duty- onto the grave and smiled.

"I miss you, Mama," the blonde said with a wistful smile. "The day has been perfect. You always read me stories of a knight saving the princess. Well, looks like I married the dragon instead. I love him, Mama. And I know that you would've too. I wish you were here."

"She's watching over us," a sudden voice rang out. Lucy turned around and found Natsu standing there with a bright grin on his face. "I don't know much about your mom, but from all of your stories it's obvious she was a great mother."

"She was," Lucy replied.

"That's how I know she's watching us," Natsu continued, taking his wife's hand. "No mother would miss her daughter's wedding!"

"You're right," the blonde said. She tenderly kissed her husband and laid her head on his shoulder.

They stood like that in a peaceful silence. Well, not silence considering they could hear the loud music and cheering from the mansion. There was ruffling coming from behind them as footsteps approached. Lucy lifted her head and found a man with red hair staring at them with teary wide eyes. Natsu then pulled away from the hug and turned around to face the intruder. His breath hitched in his throat and his jaw hung on its hinges as he took in the man's appearance. It had been over a decade since he last saw the man but he would never forget him.

"Dad…" Natsu breathed out, tears quickly spilling from his eyes again that day.

Lucy's eyes widened as she gasped and switched her gaze between the two. "D-Dad? You mean this is…"

The man nodded and smiled, "I'm Igneel, Natsu's father."

A flash of pink dashed by Lucy as Natsu practically tackled his father. Both men sobbed and held each other for dear life. Lucy found herself crying as well at the happy scene in front of her.

"D-Dad, w-why are you… Where have you been?" Natsu asked.

Igneel sighed and answered, "I'll tell you later. For now, let's focus on your wedding, alright? I heard that you were getting married and I just had to come."

"Who told you?"

"Jude Heartfilia did."

"Papa!?" Lucy cried out in astonishment. "You know my dad!?"

Igneel grinned and answered, "Yep. Knew your mom too. We were all great friends. Unfortunately, we grew apart just before you kids were born. But the other day, Jude called me and informed me his daughter was getting married and that he would love it if I came. I asked about the lucky fellow and he told started complaining that his little girl was marrying some runt named Natsu with pink hair. I was shocked to find my son was marrying my friends' daughter, but fate works like that, I suppose."

"It sure does," Lucy agreed with a happy smile.

"Oi! Lucy, Natsu! It's time for cake!" Gray shouted from the doorway. "And even though it's your wedding day, I'm sure Erza will kill both of you if you keep her away from cake any longer!"

Igneel chuckled and pried his son off of him. "This Erza sounds like a scary girl."

"She is!" Natsu informed him, paling at the thought of being killed on his wedding day.

"You two go in," Lucy told the two. They stared at her with puzzled expressions. "I'll be right there in a moment. I just wanna talk to my mom a bit more."

Igneel nodded and left the now married couple alone. Natsu stared at his wife with worry, but Lucy only smiled at him.

"I'm fine, I promise," she assured him, pecking him on the cheek.

Natsu smiled, walking to the door and replied, "Alright, I'll leave you alone now. But you won't be fine for long if you make Erza wait too long!"

Lucy giggled and turned to face her mother's grave again.

"Mama," she said, "I made a good choice, didn't I? He's loud and annoying but I love him, Mama. And I know that you will too."

Lucy ran her hand across her mother's grave and smiled to herself. The girl then began to walk back to the mansion to join her husband. She didn't know what laid ahead of her but she could always count on Natsu to give her happiness and love. After all, the flaming keys on their backs would forever guide them to each other.

 **AN:** I think the reviews aren't working again but I'm not 100% sure yet so I'm sorry if I missed your review! Anyways... Now it's officially over. :') I hope you guys all enjoyed that epilogue. Natsu got a reunion with Igneel. :') THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE THAT SUPPORTED THIS STORY! I LOVE YOU ALL.

As always, now that I finished a Nalu story I'm posting another one! :D This one is something that I've never done before and I'm pretty excited about it! It's going to be in first person perspective and also will have other couples! Nalu is the main pairing though of course. It will have Nalu, Gruvia, Jerza, and Gale! Here's the crappy summary: "AU. Battling for the location of the class fieldtrip, the two popular groups at Fairy Tail Academy go head to head in matches with the opposite sex. Lucy is determined to win, but going against Natsu Dragneel sure wasn't going to be easy. NALU GRUVIA JERZA GALE."

 **XxTentenxX179:** Hopefully the epilogue made up for it. :') Thanks for sticking with this story! :D

 **Alexa60765:** Thank you so much! Your support on all of my stories means so much! :'D

 **Lunahartz:** Sounds nice I say go for it! :D Be openly flirty haha! :D

 **FireShifter:** Thank you so much! :D

 **SingingAngel327:** I'm glad you liked my story I hope you liked the epilogue too! :) Thanks for reviewing! :D

 **MirrorFlame:** That is very true! It's not productive!

 **Soul Eater Maka:** THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU'RE GREAT.

 **PineappleText:** HAHAHA THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSTANT ENTHUSIASTIC REVIEWS THEY'RE AMAZING AND YOU'RE AMAZING.

 **Nalulove:** Wow you actually managed to finish my two other stories, catch up to Family and this one before I finished it. You're a fast reader lol. Thanks for all of the reviews you left me I loved them all. :')

 **Katiekat2001:** I'm sorry I don't have a sequel. :'( I've been asked to do this story again but in Levy's perspective but definitely no sequel. :( I do have other Nalu stories though if you're in need of more Nalu!

 **Daige:** That's okay! :D We all have our own favorite pairings and sometimes they differ. :) At least we both like Nalu! :D

 **Avhaskake:** AHHH Levy's perspective of this story would've been great. Sadly, I do not trust my abilities writing a solely Gale story lol. Maybe I'll do a oneshot of it. :)

 **CelestialLunaPanda-Senpai:** THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS REVIEWING! I only continued this story because of all of your guys' reviews so it means a lot that you reviewed all of it. :')

 **BloodRedRubies:** If it didn't end in a brawl, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail. :') And haha I'll let you think imagine Mira's punishment for them since I didn't write it! :D

 **Snavej:** Thank you so much I'm glad you liked it. :')

 **AnimeFairy2424:** Hope you liked the epilogue! :D Thanks for reviewing. :)

 **NaluNom:** THE EPILOGUE HAD THE WEDDING IN IT YAY! :D Hope you enjoyed it. :')


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